Sask. doctors express frustration at COVID measures, say more needs to be done

A group of 285 Saskatchewan doctors have came together to send a letter to the provincial government asking it to do more in the fight against COVID.

This is not the first letter to be issued to Premier Scott Moe, as concerned doctors asked for more to be done to get cases under control last November.

This letter released on Friday details four requests that these physicians say are absolutely necessary in order to decrease the rapidly rising cases in the province.

The first request involves public health measures being made consistent around Saskatchewan. This would copy Regina’s restrictions and put them in place in other jurisdictions that are starting to see cases and hospitalizations increase.

The second and third requests includes greater financial support being put in place for people that have had their livelihood impacted. This is followed by paid sick time being more readily available for essential service workers.

The final point on the letter asks for the vaccine roll-out plan to be expanded so that all healthcare workers, teachers and other front-line personnel are able to access COVID vaccines sooner.

“We are all tired of this virus, we all want it to end,” the letter reads. “Vaccinations are the light at the end of the tunnel but we are not close enough to the end to rely solely on them.

We can save livelihoods, we can save our health care system, we can save lives if we act now.”

One of the many physicians who signed off on the letter, Dr. Dennis Kendel, believes the requests that have been proposed are essential to getting the variants under control as more younger and relatively healthy people get placed in hospital beds.

“It’s principally important to save lives, that’s the bottom line,” Kendel said. “It’s very, very discouraging for physicians to see public policies that essentially are allowing preventable deaths as a trade off for supposedly not damaging the economy.”

“If the premier does not pay more attention to the letter from the physicians, this time, I think the record will show that it will be regarded as poor leadership. If he does not pay more attention I’m not sure that he’s capable of being an effective leader during this crisis.”

Kendel believes it’s crucial that the government reconsiders its vaccination plan as the variants in play are disproportionately impacting younger front line workers.

“There are many more younger people in ICU who will be at risk of dying and while every death is tragic, the fact that younger people are now dying is especially worrying,” He said. “I think the physicians who signed this letter do understand the current age plan was designed to make it as simple as possible to get as many people vaccinated as quick as possible and we support that.

“We’re not saying that was the wrong decision but it is possible to do two things concurrently and it would be wise now to begin to offer the vaccine to some more targeted groups, even if they have not really reached the age for eligibility.”

Premier Moe spoke about the letter on Friday.

He says that he has read the letter and acknowledged some of the requests that were suggested, but he didn’t go as far to say that any of them would become a reality.

“There (have) been various physicians that have have signed on to various letters throughout this pandemic with their recommendations,” Moe said. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, I know Dr. Shahab will see those those letters. We will take things into consideration.

“I know there (are) 285 that have put their name on this particular letter. I read it and I think we will take it under guidance as part of the decision making process.”