Well, it seems we are rapidly coming to a series of ridiculous impasses because of COVID.

Those who support vaccines and those who have chosen not to get them have dug in.

Governments are forcing mandates and passports even as COVID is being caught and transmitted in significant numbers by both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Out of all this there has arisen another threat that we need to acknowledge. It is a dangerous as COVID - it has to do with your medical care in the future.

It is possible to sit and take strident positions on COVID and many have but now we are at a place where government bureaucrats are moving ahead intending to fire front line nurses, paramedics, care workers, and doctors. This is an issue to which every single person, vaccinated or unvaccinated, needs to pay attention, not just because individuals are losing their livelihood,  but because it is putting the entire system at risk. Let me explain. For almost two years we have faced COVID. The members of the medical profession have made their decision, based on what they have seen and experienced and know to be true. Some chose to get vaccinated. Others have declined. The reality is that we have a large group of health care workers who have made a decision that the vaccine is not for them.

The health care system that was barely functional before COVID has carried on through it, with some extra limitations but still functional. Does anyone really think that we can afford to lose any of our health care workers? I’m not sure how much extra medical care you have in your world but where I live we have the bare minimum – many miles to the nearest hospital, limited home care, limited seniors care, long wait times for surgeries and therapy, and denial of medical care across Provincial borders. I could go on but it only gets more depressing.

We have one very limited option when it comes to health care in Canada. The real question is, what do you think is going to happen to our health care system if we start to force front line workers out of it? We are told to trust our medical personnel – how about we trust them to make their own decisions on vaccinations, especially when they have worked for two years looking COVID in the eye each and every day. Forget about coercion - many of these workers are not getting vaccinated.

We do not have extra personnel, especially in rural areas. Who can be so stupid as to remove reliable committed workers from an essential work force? I should point out the ones who are getting fired are not the three hundred thousand dollar bureaucrats (who are being paid to, and whose career success depends on, talking you into getting vaccinated). No, the ones being fired are the people working frontline day after day, on the ground, protecting the health of every one of us.

This cannot be allowed to happen and there is a potential solution. It will take some work and hopefully we do not have to go further to protect these people, their jobs and health care availability.

The MLAs are the key – the whole medical system runs on tax dollars and that is why it is so politically influenced. The health bureaucrats will do what they are told if the government feels enough pressure.

Your MLA is accountable to you – they need your vote. Calling the Premier’s and the Health Minister’s offices is good. They should hear from you, but your local MLA is your elected representative and come election time they will need your support.

Here’s my suggestion – quit fussing about whether employees are vaccinated or not. There is a bigger issue here. 

Sit down and determine what services are being, and have been, provided in your area. Talk to medical personnel – politely and confidentially – and get informed as what areas they feel are threatened. Organize with your community – friends, neighbours, businesses because everyone is equally vulnerable.

Then go to your MLA and politely tell them that you are watching to make sure that services and the employees that are providing them are not cut. Go in groups, go individually, just go. Let your elected represesntative know that is completely unacceptable to lose services for this reason AND help them to understand that if services are cut are you will be back with friends, family and community numerous times, to ensure that full services and employment are restored. DO not take any excuses – any change in service can be assumed to be a result of forced terminations.

Again, politely let others know what response you are getting. These same MLAs will be asking for your support in a very short time and constituents should be confident that their MLA will stand up for them, even against bad decisions made by their political leaders. And if they stand up, support them vocally and publicly.

We have already heard of hospitals cutting beds, of care home and homecare staffing crises, of wards being closed, and of staff shortages and contracts being terminated. If we don’t do something now these are just the beginning of repressive measures and impaired health care provision. This is not acceptable.

Your elected official need to hear from many of you – enough that they understand their opportunity to be re-elected hinges on them defending your interests. Hopefully that will be enough to get them to put a stop to this foolishness.

Any argument to try to validate firing unvaccinated workers in any profession has already been neutralized by the vast numbers of COVID cases being passed on by those who are vaccinated.

Let’s get some sanity back in this world and stop trying to find scapegoats.

There are other solutions. I have already talked about them in the past. It is interesting how little response I have received from these very reasonable suggestions.