Sask. Nurse says colleagues are exhausted and wants government to act on public health advice

Brost Strom is a public health nurse in Prince Albert and has worked on contact tracing and vaccinations throughout the pandemic.

She said she contacted Prime Minister Scott Moe about her experience and when that was turned down she turned to the opposition NDP, whose leader Ryan Meili spoke to Brost Strom at an afternoon press conference at the Legislature.

She described ways she believes the government could improve its handling of the pandemic and how to help exhausted healthcare workers.

“I am begging our government to act when our local public health teams [have] identified that they need to act, ”said Brost Strom.

She said she was particularly worried about the upcoming holiday season, “and making sure there are guidelines and rules in place so… we don’t have another wave. [of COVID-19 cases]. “

In late August and early September, public health teams had “hundreds of overdue COVID-19 case investigations,” Brost Strom said. The system was “configured to fail” when the government failed to force close contacts of positive cases to self-isolate, she said.

“We know that those close to the household, especially the unvaccinated, were getting sick from COVID-19. And yet the government said it was okay for them to go back to school while they were contagious.

Brost Strom said healthcare workers will need additional help from the government in the form of mental health support.

The pandemic has taken its toll and left her “just feeling sad coming in and coming home from work, not being able to sleep well and then not being able to find joy in your job,” she said. declared.

” I like my job. I believe 100% in what I do. I know we are making a difference. scramble all the time. “

The advice offered by employers will not be enough for many healthcare professionals, she said.

“I think we have to look at the longer term. People will need help longer than I think.”

Parents must be present for vaccinations: Merriman

Brost Strom said she was also concerned about a change in the delivery of vaccines to schools.

She said her child was initially eligible to be vaccinated at school with a consent form and no parents present, but that policy was changed to require parents to be present.

For children aged 5 and up, a consent form is typically the process used for all other school vaccinations, she said.

Meili said requiring parents to be present for school vaccinations creates barriers.

The opposition has called on the government to extend its paid time off for immunization to parents, but Health Minister Paul Merriman said on Tuesday there were clinics available in the evenings until 10 p.m. in some communities.

“Unlike other vaccines, this one contains a lot of misinformation,” Merriman said.

“We want to make sure the child gets the vaccine and the parent is comfortable. We never want to make it look like we are giving the COVID-19 vaccine behind the parents’ backs. That’s why we give them the ask to Be there. “

Merriman said he wanted parents to be able to explain the importance of the vaccine to their children and share their experience.