Letter: A special thanks from the front lines

By Letter to the Editor on December 23, 2020.

Dear editor,

As the Holiday Season is upon us, we wanted to take a moment to thank all those in our community who have sacrificed and who have done their part to help in this trying time. We understand that it has been difficult to temporarily give up some of our personal freedoms for the greater good of all Albertans. We really do understand and appreciate the sacrifice being made.

The Holiday Season has always been a time to gather with friends and family to celebrate and to rejoice collectively. We appreciate the effort and understand the cost. We are keenly aware that this Holiday Season will be a difficult time for most. This time of year can be challenging for those with limited resources or supports, even without a surging global pandemic. We can predict that the ongoing social restrictions will only make this Holiday Season harder for many.

Just know that your sacrifices are not going unnoticed, and that they are indeed working to help slow the spread of this virus. The collective efforts of wearing masks, washing hands and limiting social interactions will help our provincial health-care system avoid overcapacity challenges and prevent it from becoming overwhelmed. These selfless acts help protect the maintenance of a robust health-care system that will allow us to continue to provide timely state-of-the-art care for you and your loved ones when they are in need.

You should also know that our team is here for you. Neither our emergency department nor our Medicine Hat Regional Hospital are currently overwhelmed. We are prepared and ready to care for you regardless of whether you suffer from COVID-related illness, or the more common medical emergencies like trauma, heart attacks, or strokes, to name but a few conditions we deal with every day.

You should not delay seeking medical care if you are ill. We can safely care for your medical needs. We have implemented many infection control processes and the risk of contracting COVID in our emergency department is extremely low. People are right to remain cautious, but fear of contracting COVID should NOT prevent anyone from seeking medical care when in need. Our health-care team is prepared and capable of doing what we do best: taking care of you and your loved ones in time of medical need.

The next couple of months are going to be difficult for all. Thankfully, there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. A vaccine is coming and with it the hope of a return to the social interactions and societal activities that we have had to put on hold. Stay vigilant and know that we appreciate the sacrifices being made. For those who do fall ill, we are here for you.

Our emergency department and medical team can safely care for you regardless of what type of symptoms you may be experiencing. We hope we do not have to see you over the holidays, but we are here for you if you or your loved ones are in medical need.

Dr. Paul Parks

On behalf of the Emergency Medicine Health Care Team, MHRH

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