Thread by @drdagly

We are clearly on a dangerous path, especially considering we are moving into fall which will further exacerbate COVID and influenza spread. We are looking at further expansion and different staffing models but at the cost of downgrading care. edmontonjournal.com/news/local-new…

We are looking at transferring patients to Calgary, and potentially to other provinces. The only surgeries that are being done are emergent, and that will bring us another wave of severe illness in a few months.

Triage will not be enacted until we use up all ICU resources, but there is differing opinions between what the province says we can staff and what we really can provide. This means that on some level or another physicians will have to make hard choices.

Many people are simply dying at home, or arresting in the ER. They never make the official statistics. They present late for the same reasons that they couldn’t get vaccinated. Single parents, the vulnerable, the marginalized, all just trying to keep it together.

And though it pains me to even bring it up, there is no way that we can maintain our standard of care under these circumstances in any aspect of how the hospital runs, despite Herculean administrative efforts. Every service is affected.

It is my belief that we have arrived here by consistent and continuous political pandering. By taking the path of least resistance our leaders have downloaded these responsibilities unfairly to individuals. This has been done for their political gain. This is clearly unethical.

Though I hold our provincial government responsible for this, I have real doubts they will step up, and so I look to municipal leaders to step up and accept their moral responsibility to take a political hit and advocate for vaccination and vaccine passports.

I have heard so much rhetoric about freedom. For a free society to function it requires rules. The freedom that is casually screamed about is really anarchy. I believe in the majority of Albertans and always have. I thank you.

We will continue to look after everyone regardless of their beliefs to the best of our abilities for as long as we can.

We promise.