“No firefighter ever got criticized for using too much water.”
“We have not put a cap on what we might need to invest to solve the problem.”
– Finance Minister Bill Morneau
Does this apply professionals? COVID-19 has overwhelmed health systems globally. It has caused more deaths in Italy and in Spain in one day than did SARS worldwide over several months. Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts that it may result in millions of cases in the United States with 100200,000 deaths.
It affects the famous and the infamous, from Prince Charles, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Like SARS, it disproportionately affects health professionals. Recall that 44% of Toronto SARS infections were in this group. In China, 3000 health workers were infected with COVID-19 and 22 died. In Spain, nearly 10,000 health workers are affected, or 15% of cases. In Italy some 6300 health workers are positive for the virus; some 10-15% of doctors and nurses have become infected and over 50 MDS have died.
Health professionals need expedited test results for COVID-19, an adequate supply of personal protective equipment, prompt licensure and assurance of full malpractice insurance - covered by government - and most importantly death and disability benefits.
For nurses who have practiced within the past three years, the CNO is expediting registration and will reimburse the application and is waiving the first year registration fee.
For physicians out-of-practice for three years or less, Saskatchewan offers an “emergency license” at no charge. Newfoundland and Labrador. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia also offer licenses to
to
health previously-retired MDS at no cost.
Older physicians in Ontario are not so lucky. The CPSO charges $345 for a 30-day supervised license. For an Independent Practice Certificate, one must pay $1045 for the application fee and then an annual membership fee of $1725.
Health professionals, especially older ones called out of retirement to assist, also need and deserve disability and death benefits. In Ontario, 29% of nurses are part-time and 13% are casual. Lacking sick benefits, they must rely on EI, but many do not qualify.
Surgeons whose elective OR time has been slashed, palliative care and other MDS making house calls, and officebased family physician and internists have seen marked drops in income. Their disability insurance would not cover them. Older physicians do not qualify for such insurance, and find life insurance unaffordable. In June 2003, Ontario agreed to the “SARS Income Stabilization Program.” Eventually some $190 million was paid to physicians, and paramedics.
Physicians in Quebec and the rest of Canada should demand a similar program. In addition, there should be government-funded life insurance – at least for MDS, nurses, and respiratory therapists over age 65 who succumb to COVID-19. The coronavirus is vastly more lethal than SARS, and the health and economic disruptions will last for many months, so such a program will be very costly.
In terms of cases and mortality (about a quarter that of the US) from this pandemic, Canada has been fortunate. In retrospect, it was still slow to implement screening and 14day self-isolation of airline passengers from Iran, Europe, and the United States, requiring all persons to avoid even fairly small groups, and closing the Us-canada border.
Financial support for health professionals is needed and needed now. Ottawa should bear most of the cost. As Dr. Michael Ryan of the WHO advised, “Be fast, have no regrets. You must be the first mover. The virus will always get you if you don’t move quickly.”
Or as Stephen Poloz, Governor of the Bank of Canada asserted, “No firefighter ever got criticized for using too much water.”
Kudos to the Quebec government for launching its online education program: “The Open School” for students whose routine of going to school has been completely disrupted due to the COVID-19 crisis. The program comes just in time because parents are indeed worried children are losing too much school time due to the pandemic.
Equally concerned are the vast majority of primary and secondary school principals of private and public schools in Quebec. They are justifiably troubled by the idea the Legault government may cancel the rest of the school year because of Coronavirus.
In a press release / letter sent to Premier Legault and Education Minister Roberge on March 23, they implored the government not to drop the remainder of the year.
They wrote: “All studies have shown that a long period of inactive schooling has a negative impact on student success, particularly that of students with difficulties...imagine the impact of five months or more...” They are right !
Here is a thought regardless of how many days are lost.
The idea dovetails with two promises made and kept by the government during the campaign in 2018.
Schools now have a mandatory extended recess, and high-school students are offered a free extra one-hour extracurricular activity period daily for sports, arts and homework help
The thought: To catch up, let’s consider extending the school day by, let’s say, an hour, when students return to school.
The idea may also help alleviate Quebec’s drop-out rate
Canada. their - the highest in