Dr. Joss Reimer, left, injects Mabel Aldwinckle with her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Meadowood Manor in Winnipeg, Man., on Jan. 29, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
Yip says there are pockets of people who have been missed in her local rollout, and that at her hospital, cardiologists had to remind authorities that they, too, are involved in critical care.
Meanwhile, says Yip, it’s been doubly frustrating to see vaccine selfies posted by people who don’t work on the frontlines.
“Yesterday, a completely non-medical person who’s an accountant and happens to work at a Toronto hospital got it. When you see someone not even working [with COVID-19 patients] getting it, it feels like the person is jumping the queue.”
Doctors call for systemic change to tackle burnout among health-care workers
As health-care workers feel the exhaustion of the pandemic setting in, some doctors say medical organizations must do more to prevent burnout among front-line employees.
Social Sharing
CBC Radio ·
Posted: Feb 02, 2021 5:07 PM ET | Last Updated: February 2
In the Canadian Medical Association s 2017 National Physician Health Survey, 30 per cent of physicians and medical residents reported high levels of burnout. But one doctor who focuses on burnout and resilience estimates that number is even higher, especially because of the pandemic.(Massimo Pinca/Reuters)
A Quebec doctor’s death by suicide shocked the Canadian medical community and raised concerns about the mental health of health-care professionals during the pandemic.
Medical leaders are concerned about increasing pressures on health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic following the suicide of Dr. Karine Dion, a 35-year-old emergency physician in Granby, Que.
Described by her loved ones as an incredible woman, Dion had been practising medicine for a decade and was on her second mental health leave when she died. Dion’s husband, David Daigle, says she was exhausted from the stress of the pandemic.
According to Dr. Caroline Gerin-Lajoie, executive vice-president of physician wellness and medical culture at the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Dion’s tragic death “reminds us that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take an enormous toll. Our sincere condolences go out to Dr. Karine Dion’s loved ones and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
TORONTO Hailed as heroes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, front-line health-care workers say they appreciate hearing the kind words, but don t feel that they re being heard themselves. We know that burnout has always been something that nurses have dealt with and faced, but it s turned a corner with COVID-19, Amie Varley said Thursday on CTV s Your Morning. We re overwhelmed and we re exhausted. There has been a steady drumbeat of data warning about mental health challenges facing health-care workers during the pandemic. Last September, 41 per cent of nurses surveyed in British Columbia said they were suffering from severe depression, while 60 per cent reported emotional exhaustion. Nationwide, warnings about burnout escalated along with the second wave. Multiple health-care workers have died by suicide, including Dr. Karine Dion in Granby, Que.