On September 17th, a delegation of physicians attended a Swift Current City Council meeting to express their concerns about the significant strain Covid-19 is putting on the Health Care System.
"We are at the worst time of the pandemic today," said delegation spokesperson Dr Tara Lee, a family physician.
The Swift Current Hospital had all four ICU beds full of unvaccinated Covid-19 patients on the day of the meeting, and a fifth bed recently added to the ICU was unavailable due to a staffing shortage. She stated that ICU beds were full with unvaccinated Covid-19 patients and that Swift Current Hospital was on bypass. Patients in need of beds must be relocated to other regions where beds are available when hospitals go on bypass.
She stated that since public health restrictions were lifted, the number of Covid-19 has increased exponentially. Vaccination rates in Southwest Saskatchewan are low, with one area reporting a vaccination rate of only 12%. The number of children infected with the virus is also rapidly increasing. Dr. Clare Kozroski, a local physician, spoke to the Council about the importance of public health measures. She explained that additional public health measures such as masking, social distancing, and crowd size are required.
The delegation requested that proof of vaccination and mask requirements be required at all city-run facilities. Dr Lee explained that rinks are ideal locations for the virus to spread due to their high population density and humidity levels. Additionally, the delegation requested that the City require proof of vaccination for city employees and that local businesses be encouraged to do the same.
While I have attempted to cover the highlights of the video, I would recommend that you watch the first 15 minutes of the video. Dr. Lee does an excellent job of providing Council with firsthand information about the impact Covid-19 is having on the local healthcare system. She also provides useful statistics and information about Covid-19 that you may find useful.
Blake Campbell
Gull Lake Events
Comments