Here is a Twitter thread that expresses what many people are feeling.
I am so mad. So Mad. Our #abhealth system is beyond broken. A dear friend and new mom is needing transfer from a rural hospital to #RDRHC for a procedure. A very necessary procedure to remove excess fluid around her lungs. 1/5
— Tired AB Nurse Blocked by Kenney (@tired_albertan) July 3, 2022
Many Albertans are without a family physician. However, Alberta pharmacists may be taking on a key role in helping to address this problem. To find out what is being done, check out this article.
If you have not read Dr. Gabriel Fabreau’s opinion piece found in the June 4, 2022, Calgary Herald, you will want to do so. Among other things, Dr. Fabreau provides an honest view of what it is like in Alberta hospitals. According to him, “After two years of COVID-19, our hospitals have never been worse off.”
Take a few minutes to read this important article. It will be time well spent.
“Primary care is the bedrock foundation for our healthcare system and the collapse of this will have after shocks felt at all levels of health care delivery. Having a family physician means promoting preventative medicine, doing outpatient work ups re directing care away from overwhelmed ER departments when appropriate, providing earlier more manageable disease diagnosis, collaborating with specialist and ensuring you get the best care possible. We are instrumental in decreasing the number of in patients and over capacity at the hospital. We help transition patients to short stay units, long term care or follow up on our discharged patients, and some of us even do house calls for the infirm. Good care means taking initiative and ensuring our patients don’t fall through the ever enlarging cracks in the system.”
Click here to read the full article.
Saturday, May 14th will see Albertans rallying for public health in the province. Here is where and when the rallys will be taking place.
Edmonton
Where: Alberta Legislature, 10800 97 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
Calgary
Where: South Health Campus – U of C Hospital, Seton Hall off of Front Street, south side main entrance, 4448 Front Street SE Calgary, AB
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
Red Deer
Where: City Hall, 4914 48 Ave, Red Deer, AB
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
Lethbridge
Where: City Hall, 910 4 Ave S, Lethbridge, AB
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 12:00 p.m. (Noon)
Medicine Hat
Where: Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, 5th Street Side, 666 5 St SW, Medicine Hat, AB
When: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 11:00 a.m.
Provincial vaccination coverage. All provinces were given the opportunity to vaccinate their population, some did much better than others. The prairie provinces have the lowest vaccination coverage and also hold 3 of the top 4 spots in hospitalizations. #cdnpoli #covid19ontario pic.twitter.com/OptzrJDpEa
— Bill Comeau 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@Billius27) April 18, 2022
Given that healthcare workers have been dealing with the pandemic for over two years, it is fully understandable that many of them are burnt or burning out. Howevever, as the following statement suggests, the underlying reason for healthcare worker burnout may have existed well before the pandemic began.
“Our system was not okay before COVID-19. It was functioning because of the people in it, and because they give 110 percent every time they come into work….The cracks that were there widened and it became apparent to everybody.”
Click here to read the full article.
What a difference it would make if COVID mitigation measures were referred to as “protections” in the media vs. “restrictions”.
— Oni Blackstock MD MHS (@oni_blackstock) February 11, 2022
Over the past two years, what lessons have we learned from and about COVID?
Tomorrow: Wednesday, Feb 2nd @ 4pm MST – Lessons from SARS COV1 with guests
— Protect Our Province Alberta (@PopAlberta) February 1, 2022
-Mario Possamai, Senior Adviser to Mr. Justice Archie Campbell on 2003 SARS Commission
–@sameo416, aerospace/electrical engineer
–@DrFiliatrault a retired ER doc and a member of @Protect_BC pic.twitter.com/lEn2qqeCpW
Cold hard facts about the effect of Wave 5 on healthcare in AB:
— Dr. Shazma Mithani (@shazmamithani) January 20, 2022
1. non-ICU acute care is significantly above capacity with both COVID and non-COVID related illnesses.
2. ERs are seeing unprecedented wait times.
3. EMS is stretched very thin – many areas with no ambulances. /1
