soapbox

Dr. chris pengilly is Just For Canadian Doctors’ current affairs columnist. please send your comments to him via his website at drpeng.ca.

Back again

A message that Barack Obama also contemplated: Hard things are hard

The first (and ongoing) waves of the pandemic have been all about uncertainty

this issue of the magazine comes out fact, the public should be made aware that acutely ill. Then, of course, it should be after a year of silence, and what a the current constraints, unpleasant as they frontline workers in the emergency departtumultuous year it has been. in one are, are not for naught. ments, icus and infectious diseases wards. way i have nothing to say—and in another So where do we go from here? late Then the sick and well senior population. i could fill five volumes. Several analogies in 2020 the light at the end of the tunnel canadian physicians have done a stellar have been applied to this period of history became brighter with the introduction job of bravely stepping up to the front— including a rollercoaster ride of chaos, of vaccines. unfortunately, that light is along with team support from nursing staff anxiety and depression—with uncertainty beginning to flicker somewhat but it and paramedics—in dealing with these underlying it all. That is, uncertainty about will eventually break into full daylight. in sick and infectious people. They all deserve when the situation will begin to resolve, the meantime, every attempt must be a pat on the back. in fact, i think they all deuncertainty about effective treatments and maintained to keep the virus count as serve a year’s holiday when this is over, but uncertainty about when the white knight is low as possible because the fewer viruses they may have to settle for just a couple going to ride in with a vaccine. around, the fewer the mutations. weeks. after a crisis memories can be short.

The anxiety level is not helped by the as the immunization program rolls out, Barack Obama had on his desk a media. For example, the cBc delivers a who should be treated and when? There plaque, which he treasured, with the news update every hour. i do not need to is fairly universal agreement that the frail simple yet powerful message: be told and retold every hour for several elderly should be treated first because they harD ThiNGS arE harD. consecutive days that moderna was cutting require prolonged hospital stays when isn’t that so true. the vaccine sent to canada by 20%. phonein talk shows and armchair epidemiologists further fuel uncertainty and anxiety. One word that has been outstanding LOWER MAINLANDFAMILY with relevance to the federal and provincial governments is “unprecedented.” There is no data to consult to see how this pandemactice in Beautiful A CULTURE OF CARING ic was dealt with previously. This is all virgin territory. Given the circumstances, all levels of government have tried to maintain transparency of their processes, and comBritish Columbia Practice in Beautiful British Columbia Practice in Beautiful British Columbia municate concerns and difficulties to the public. The results may appear, to some, suboptimal but i am not going to go there. hiringGPsformultiple clinics WearehiringGPsformultiple clinics We are hiring GPs for multiple clinics in the Greater Vancouver area. at the time of writing the biggest concern is the availability of vaccines. By eGreaterVancouver area. inthe GreaterVancouver area. International Medical Grads the time this essay is published this may be history, and there will be yet another problem—another mutation or unprecedented change. (There’s that word again). in spite of the fairly lively anti-mask protesters and the scofflaws with regard to assemblies, canada is not doing too badly. The latest figures i can get suggest that canada has an incidence of the cOViD-19 virus of 2%. The global incidence of cOViD-19 is 13%. These figures are reassuring, but they are not relayed to the populace because it may encourage complacency and discourage compliance with public health tionalMedicalGradsarealso metoapply. incomepotential ministration t. iStock.com/Satenik_Guzhanina InternationalMedicalGradsare also welcometoapply. Greatincomepotential andadministration support. vince@vincesara.com Learnmoreby sendingyourCVto: are also welcome to apply. Great income potential and administration support. 4540 iStock.com/Satenik_Guzhanina spring 2021 Just For canadian doctors guidelines. i think these figures are so good because people have, on the whole, been accommodating to these restrictions—in vince@vincesara.com nmorebysendingyourCVto: 4540 Learn more by sending your CV to: vince@vincesara.com 15