Letter: With our thanks and gratitude

By Letter to the Editor on September 3, 2021.

Dear editor,

While our community and hospital staff struggle with increasing numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and the news and social media is abuzz with conflicting views and controversies, we all need to pause and spare a thought for our nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists, porters, x-ray and lab technicians, and other allied health care workers.

In such unprecedented times, these allied health care professionals are continuing to perform an extremely challenging job throughout our community and hospital.

When we imagine a loved one in a major trauma, or suffering from any medical or surgical emergency, we can easily picture the team of skilled, dedicated, and hard-working health care providers who make our advanced healthcare system work.

Without this group of caring and specialized nurses, respiratory therapists, porters, clerks, and other health care workers of every trade, the shiny hospital and its expensive medical equipment would have no meaning. Sometimes it can be easy to take for granted that this team will simply be there when called upon.

The last eighteen months have been a trying time for all Albertans. On the healthcare front, the challenges have been immense, with recurring waves of COVID-19, growing staffing shortages, and complicated healthcare resource challenges.

During this tumultuous period our nurses still show up every day to our COVID floors, emergency departments, operating rooms, ICUs, and community clinics and hospital wards.

The respiratory therapists continue to don their PPE and ease your breathing difficulties. Environmental services staff are still there to disinfect and clean, and protection services continue to keep everyone safe.

The people of Medicine Hat can rest assured that the nurses and other health care workers are still going to be there, day in and day out, to provide care and symptom relief even in these extraordinary times. The waits may sometimes be longer, visitors may be limited, and the response might be a touch wearier at times, but the nurse will still be there. They have stepped up, they have gone above and beyond, and they will continue to do so.

As the fourth wave of COVID-19 challenges our community even further, it will be even more important to take a moment to reflect and be thankful for the work our allied health care professionals are providing.

On behalf of our community, we all would like to take this opportunity to openly thank our entire team. We wish to pay respect not only to the dedicated nurses who work alongside us, but to every member of the allied healthcare team who seamlessly make our healthcare system work; like the proverbial swans appearing to be swimming effortlessly, we know that many are tirelessly paddling underneath the water, and some are struggling within themselves in these difficult times.

We all feel proud and privileged to continue serving by your side through these unique and challenging times. It is reassuring knowing that regardless of any hurdles the future and this pandemic might bring, you will be there for us, for our loved ones, and for our community.

This letter was written by Drs Paul Parks, Debakanta Jena, and co-signed by Cathy Horsman, Ryan Currah, Ron Witzke, Adeel Azam, Mohammad Jahandardoost, Susan Witt, Charlotte Foulston, Minati Devi, Tyler van Mulligen, Edwin Jordan, Kristine Woodley, Darren Holland, Madeleine Meiring, Bola Suberu, Alejandro Manosalva, Jani-Carlien van der Walt, Heloise Shrives, Franz Jonker, Morgan Osborne, Madelene Venter, Gert Grobler, Monty Van Der Westhuizen, Ockert Kruger, Joy Sissons, Caren Dirker, Funke Daramola, Deji Daramola, Annette Turenne, Nicoelle Wanner, Akinyele Iyiola, Jeff Jensen, Gloria Tainsh, Dia Burger, Jahnes Booyens, Farah Naz, Ahmed Al-Abayechi, Subrata Datta, Ahed Isa, Caren Dirker, Mohammed Alhujairi, Murtaza Amirali, Madeleine Meiring, Adriaan Kriel, David Sameshima, Matt Harris, Cecilia Gordillo, Daniel Anselm, Kartik Malik, Jesse Stach, Michael Lee, Comfort Samakinde, Juio Silva-Martinez, Roxanne Swiegers, Anil Keshvara, Arshi Keshvare, Thomas Mohanraj, Tony Carlsson, Robert Stubbs, Anita Augustine, Chris Buckle, Lena Derie-Gillespie, Kwesi Agyem, Joe Hawkwood, Rehab Abdelhamid, Lei Mi, Branko Lazarevic, Doug Mastel, Emmanuel Erinaugha, Gerry Prince, Bill Ruzycki, Mike Bering, Daniel Anselm, Dan Girgis, Jeffrey Bratvold, John Pasternak, Talal Alphin, Raheem Dhanani, Asma Mahmood and Mark Lewall

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