Urgent government action needed to tackle COVID-19 health-care crisis, medical leaders warn
CBC
Urgent action from all levels of government is needed to bring Canada's strained health-care system "back to life" as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps raging, medical leaders warned in a Wednesday briefing.
The remarks followed an emergency summit Tuesday night, which brought together more than 30 national and provincial health organizations including the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA).
Leaders from both the CMA and CNA said the summit discussions confirmed there are high levels of burnout among health-care workers, chronic under-staffing issues, and an urgent need for government intervention and longer-term supports.
There was "such a sense of hopelessness last night," CMA president Dr. Katharine Smart told reporters during a virtual briefing.
"It has been nearly two years since the first headlines of what we know now to be COVID-19, and since that time, health-care workers have been at the forefront," said CNA president Tim Guest.
"Our front-line workers are no longer on the brink of exhaustion," said Smart. "They are exhausted."
Smart said the current health-care crisis is unacceptable and called for immediate relief for health-care workers in COVID-19 hot zones.
WARNING: This story contains details about self-harm and suicide.
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