With Health Minister Christian Dub\u00e9 announcing September 7 that vaccination would be mandatory for all health care workers in the province, some are worried that beleaguered staff at local facilities would be stretched further.<\/p>\n
According to CISSSO spokesperson Marie-Pier Despr\u00e9s, 92.2% of their workers had one dose (same as provincial average) and 87.2% had two (provincial average is 88%). She did not have information on the rates in the Pontiac specifically.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrior to the implementation of mandatory vaccination, employees who were still unvaccinated were required to be screened 3 times per week (for specific areas\/services only),\u201d Despr\u00e9s wrote in an email on September 9. She said that they would be releasing more information on the subject soon.<\/p>\n
Dub\u00e9 has stated that any health care workers who aren\u2019t vaccinated by October 15 would be suspended without pay.<\/p>\n
A staffer at the Pontiac Hospital with extensive knowledge of the situation said that there are currently 6 to 8 nursing staff at the hospital that haven\u2019t been fully vaccinated, and most likely would face suspension on the October 15 deadline. The staffer spoke to CHIP 101.9 anonymously as they are not cleared by the CISSSO to speak with media. They added that they knew of one or two unvaccinated ward aides, along with some kitchen workers that would likely be suspended as well.<\/p>\n
They called the measures overkill and said that while it might not immediately lead to breaks in service, it would put additional strain on staff that are already stretched thin.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s ridiculous, we\u2019re already lacking staff, so you put that in what the hell are we supposed to do?\u201d they said. \u201cAt least if they\u2019re tested two, three times a week ... we can still keep our staff, whatever\u2019s left ... I mean that\u2019s pretty big, suspension and sent home with no salary, I mean wow, I can\u2019t believe that\u2019s where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still hanging by a thread ... it\u2019s day by day. If somebody calls in sick we\u2019ll hardly be able to replace [them] ... The fact that some are going to be suspended, it will make a big difference, it will be a big dent. You just need one or two for your emerg to be gone. It just puts the whole schedule upside-down. What do you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Pontiac Warden Jane Toller, speaking with CHIP 101.9 last week about the Pontiac Hospital\u2019s obstetrics unit, worried that with staffing levels in local facilities already stretched thin, they couldn\u2019t afford to lose any more staff.<\/p>\n\n