Health-care workers were recognized at a recent Powell River Regional Hospital District board meeting.
At the September 23 meeting, board chair CaroleAnn Leishman said even though the board is specific to funding health-care facilities, she wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the health-care workers – the people who are working so hard. She said COVID-19 is now in its fourth wave.
Leishman said there are weekly update calls with Vancouver Coastal Health senior leadership and the medical health officer, who provide updates.
“We are heading into the typical flu season, which is increasing the number of people being tested for COVID-19,” said Leishman. “There has been a lot of concern in the media and social media with people who are still resisting being vaccinated. I want to thank all those people who are doing such a good job with this current state, and just to state that if people are hesitating, please don’t, please listen to the science and get vaccinated because the predominant numbers of people who are ending up hospitalized are unvaccinated individuals. They are getting very sick.
“The plea from Vancouver Coastal Health in our region is that the numbers are starting to weigh heavily on our facilities and our health-care providers. There are concerns about burnout with health-care workers. The leadership of the community is being encouraged to encourage people to get vaccinated.”
Also at the hospital board meeting, directors voted to direct staff to investigate the possibility of changing the name of Powell River Regional Hospital District, through letters patent, to something that more appropriately reflects the qathet region and Tla’amin Nation. The board’s motion also stipulated that the chair of the hospital board write to Tla’amin asking for the nation’s input into what the name should be.
