British Columbia begs unvaccinated healthcare workers to return
The Canadian province of British Columbia last week ended its four-year-long public emergency for COVID-19 and begged unvaccinated healthcare workers to come back to work.
"We have reached the point in this journey that we’ve been on where I am confident that we can now lift the requirements of a public health emergency," British Columbia Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Friday. "I am confident there's no longer a need for this public health emergency and the powers that come under that to remain in place," she added.
One of the restrictions lifted was the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers that was first imposed in 2021. Over 1,800 healthcare workers lost their jobs over the mandate. They are now being invited to return to work, though they will be forced to disclose their vaccination statuses for COVID-19, flu, and measles.
Health minister begs unvaccinated workers to return
During Friday’s press conference alongside Henry, British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix pleaded with unvaccinated healthcare workers to come back to work.
“We need to work with everyone, vaccinated and unvaccinated, and bring people together,” DIx told reporters. “And I think that’s what we did in BC in these times. We want everyone who can work in the public healthcare system to be able to work there. We have a health human resources plan that’s adding positions, adding spaces. We have enormous challenges in mental health and addictions care, for example.”
“We need everyone, we encourage everyone who can work in the healthcare system to work in the healthcare system,” he added.
‘Multiple hospitals closing their emergency rooms”
British Columbia is the last jurisdiction in Canada to lift the mandate. Healthcare workers say the government’s decision is linked to an alarming drop in emergency services due to inadequate staffing.
Vascular surgeon and University of British Columbia Professor of Surgery Dr. York Hsiang told Rebel News that the province made the decision "as a result of legal and political pressure, let alone the pressure of multiple hospitals closing their emergency rooms."
"There are no staff — no doctors, nurses, or technicians," Dr. York added, despite financial incentives by the government. Dr. York chose to retire early due to the COVID-19 mandate.
Four British Columbian hospitals paused emergency services this month due to staffing shortages. Last year, at least 10 emergency rooms closed for the same reason. In 2022, 13 hospitals closed their emergency rooms for a combined total of four months.
