Key takeaways:
- ‘If you require assistance, call. Someone is going to come,’ states one paramedic.
- Newfoundland and Labrador paramedics state the latest surge of COVID-19 has deepened their already-high tension levels.
Emergency service scrambles to clad the Omicron hits:
Newfoundland and Labrador emergency staffers and volunteers are running to pick up the slack as multiple staff are moved into isolation due to COVID-19 disclosures or positive test results.
Brad Forward, a paramedic in rural Newfoundland, stated near to 50 per cent of his co-workers were out due to COVID-19 at one point.
“The workload kind of fell on to those who were still standing,” stated Forward in an interview with CBC News. “With the risen case numbers going … through the roof, the fear levels and the stress levels were rising pretty fast.” Source – cbc.ca
The rapidly extending Omicron variant has meant hundreds of Newfoundland and Labrador healthcare staffers are off in isolation at a time when the system is already weakened.
Read more: Hundreds of MUN students ask for labs to drive online amid COVID-19 surge
While other events may be revoked, medical emergencies never cease, stated Forward.
“We’re almost to the point now where, you know, we’re almost having to try to be in two places at once. The only way we can really cope is to jump into the work,” he stated. “That’s all we can do until we get a chance to stop.” Source – cbc.ca
Forward stated ambulance services are still unrestricted for those who require them — though they may take longer than expected because of the layers of personal protective equipment that they ought to put on.
“If you need assistance, call. Someone is going to come.” Source – cbc.ca
