BOOKING CIRCUS

Re: “High traffic crashes Nova Scotia's vaccination booking site” (March 1 story). In case Nova Scotia Public Health dares to congratulate themselves for providing COVID vaccine clinics, I wish to provide a true example of what is really happening.

On Monday, March 1, I started early in the morning, trying to arrange a vaccination for my 95-year-old father, a veteran with significant health issues. He should qualify for priority vaccination.

The website was not functional all morning. By early afternoon, it seemed to start working, and it stated I was in a “queue.” The estimated wait time fluctuated, randomly up and down, between nine and 144 minutes, and then eventually the estimates stopped. I persisted online, thinking (naïvely), that I was in a queue. After two hours of that, it informed me that now no appointments were available in Halifax. But I could book one in Sydney!

I will mention that, parallel to trying via computer, all day I also phoned the published number. Typically, it provided a busy signal, and then after 30 seconds the line went dead. There was no way to just wait on the phone; the call would be just dropped. I persisted, using redial, for more than 100 times, all day. Occasionally, I got a message saying the phone number was unavailable for technical reasons — I assume because it was overwhelmed. Eventually, by 5 p.m., I got a message at that number saying — wait for it: try the website!

The online system is apparently provided by a private company named, very ironically, Canimmunize. I presume they were the lowest bidder. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.

I also tried phoning my MLA, Patricia Arab, who is also minister of communications and internal services. That is another ironic title. No one answers the phone in her office, and no one returns messages.

I have two questions: how would someone like my father be expected to arrange his own appointment? How can I arrange one for him? Victor Day, Halifax