Dear Editor,
As this never ending COVID-19 situation continues and penalties are handed out by public health, politicians and Alberta Health Services (AHS) with their apparent solutions.
In my opinion, AHS should bear considerable blame for the present staffing and bed shortage apparently reported as of late.
I’m not convinced of the bed shortage but certainly the mismanagement and lack of leadership shown in regards to hiring and staffing of Registered Nurses (RNs) is a problem.
This is not a new problem but has been exacerbated by COVID.
The irony of it all is that for the past year and a half those same RNs have fulfilled their job requirements as per usual.
Mandatory vaccination and mandatory vaccine passports are now compulsory by the end of the month.Their options are to be unpaid layoffs or to be fired.
Throughout these past many months those same RNs working in their designated areas, I would venture to say, were not the source of the spread of the virus.
In particular, those nurses working in the emergency room, operating room, recovery room and intensive care, worked under stringent protective protocol. This being the norm but enforced even more under these circumstances.
It is in the public’s interest to observe the consequences of fewer RNs to give care. They are now victims of heavy-handed legislation and questionable loss of personal rights.
Someone in “higher places” should answer for this.
Gayle Smigg
Hanna, Alta.
