How about an ICU with unvaccinated staff?

I was ashamed and embarrassed to see protesters blocking access to hospitals under the guise of freedom to choose not to be vaccinated, and not to wear a mask.

Actions should have consequences. For the drunk driver, ICBC and private auto insurance will not cover your costs to repair or replace your car, nor will the insurers cover property damage and lawsuits from injury or death as a consequence of your choice to drive drunk.

Demerit points, loss of your licence, heavy fines, public shaming and even jail time are further consequences. At this time, there are minimal if any consequences for protestors of public health guidelines for masking and vaccinating.

Responsible Canadians must carry proof of auto insurance, and they must follow the rules of the road or there are consequences.

For the COVID “insurance” protestors, the fines (if levied) are not severe enough, and there are no arrests and jail time as consequences for irresponsible demonstrations outside hospitals.

Perhaps the medical system needs to follow the lead of the auto insurance companies. Imagine if we had a two-tier health care system, based upon COVID “insurance choice” and responsible behaviour.

The first intensive care unit is staffed by vaccinated doctors and nurses, and the second ICU is staffed by the unvaccinated.

This second tier ICU would be impossible to staff, even though the numbers of unvaccinated and critically ill covid patients would be overwhelming.

Guess which ICU the unvaccinated would choose for their critical care admission? As it stands, the hospitalized COVID protestors will get expensive and lifesaving treatment in the “vaccinated” ICU even though they choose to be uninsured.

Their choice is an unsound, indefensible, and morally reprehensible one, since there is overwhelming evidence of the benefit of following public health guidelines, including vaccination.

Catharine Dewar recently retired physician Saanich