As hundreds in Nelson were demonstrating against the provincial government香蕉视频直播檚 plan for vaccine passports, an impossible choice was being made.

Taryn O香蕉视频直播橤enski, a registered nurse in the emergency room at Castlegar and District Community Health Centre, was working when a woman arrived in need of what O香蕉视频直播橤enski says was advanced breathing support.

The centre is a relatively small facility and has no intensive care unit. The two isolation rooms it has were occupied by patients diagnosed with COVID-19, one of whom was a 51-year-old man who wasn香蕉视频直播檛 vaccinated.

The woman, O香蕉视频直播橤enski said, had to be sent to Trail香蕉视频直播檚 Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH).

She later died there.

O香蕉视频直播橤enski thinks the woman may have been saved if the hospital had the resources being used by COVID patients.

In a pandemic that has now gone on 17 months with no end in sight, this is now a regular dilemma in B.C. hospitals.

香蕉视频直播淭he reality is that these are the choices that we香蕉视频直播檙e having to make, and I香蕉视频直播檓 much more inclined to be helping someone who香蕉视频直播檚 vaccinated, with breast cancer, and going through chemotherapy than a 51-year-old who香蕉视频直播檚 like, 香蕉视频直播榃hy does it matter if I got vaccinated?香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�

After the Sept. 1 protests that were held throughout B.C. and advertised as being in support of health care workers, the Nelson Star interviewed 10 doctors and nurses working in Nelson, Castlegar and Trail. Every one of them reacted to the demonstrations with anger, frustration and disappointment.

Dr. Mike Van Vliet, who works in the emergency room at KBRH, and previously spent five years in the ER at Nelson香蕉视频直播檚 Kootenay Lake Hospital (KLH), described the protests as 香蕉视频直播渁 kick in the teeth.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e been working so hard, and then to see people out there [protesting] without masks, and continuing to say that this is a hoax and a joke and isn香蕉视频直播檛 real 香蕉视频直播� I香蕉视频直播檓 a bit embarrassed by it.香蕉视频直播�

A Castlegar native, Van Vliet comes from a family of local physicians. His father was a doctor for 35 years. His sister works as a radiologist, and another as a nurse practitioner. His mother is a retired nursing instructor at Selkirk College.

Daily, he香蕉视频直播檚 disappointed in patients who haven香蕉视频直播檛 taken the pandemic seriously or are yet to be vaccinated.

香蕉视频直播淲e are making hard decisions right now on who can safely go home, who needs to be admitted, who needs to go to ICU, who needs to be put on a ventilator, and then, when we are full, where we need to send them 香蕉视频直播� Kelowna, Penticton, Cranbrook, or another site that is not at capacity.

香蕉视频直播淚t is making my difficult job as an ER physician a lot harder, and my empathy is running out for the patients who are not vaccinated.香蕉视频直播�

The West Kootenay went mostly untouched by COVID-19 throughout 2020, but an outbreak in the province香蕉视频直播檚 Interior has seen new cases skyrocket in 2021.

The Nelson health area, which includes nearby Salmo and parts of the Slocan Valley, has had 454 cases since July 25, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control. Cases are also surging in Castlegar, Trail, Creston and Grand Forks.

On Aug. 23, the provincial government announced at least one dose of vaccine will be required for people visiting restaurants, movies and ticketed sports events as of Sept. 13. Those restrictions change to two doses on Oct. 24.

Dr. Dharma McBride, a Nelson family physician and vice-chair of Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice, supports the right to protest, but also believes the government is out of options.

香蕉视频直播淚 really don香蕉视频直播檛 know how as a society we香蕉视频直播檙e going to get through this pandemic unless we reach COVID immunity via vaccination, and if this helps move the needle a little bit, maybe it香蕉视频直播檒l be seen as a success. I think we香蕉视频直播檙e going to have a lot of soul-searching in terms of how we got to that place.香蕉视频直播�

Castlegar香蕉视频直播檚 Dr. Megan Taylor calls the protests 香蕉视频直播渇arcical.香蕉视频直播� She supports the passport, which she believes will push more British Columbians to get vaccinated. There香蕉视频直播檚 evidence to show she香蕉视频直播檚 right 香蕉视频直播� the number of first doses rose by 90 per cent in the week after the passport was announced.

香蕉视频直播淚 honestly feel a little bit sad that people are motivated to get a vaccine to go to a restaurant, and not to protect the health of themselves and those around them. But if that香蕉视频直播檚 what it takes, great.香蕉视频直播�

Nelson香蕉视频直播檚 Dr. Lauren Galbraith said she was disheartened by the protests, but relieved they didn香蕉视频直播檛 occur outside local hospitals. In Kelowna, scenes of a crowd outside the hospital there, blocking the path of an ambulance, went viral.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 tough when people香蕉视频直播檚 decisions are affecting other people香蕉视频直播檚 health. This small group of individuals, for whatever reason, can香蕉视频直播檛 seem to wrap their head around.香蕉视频直播�

A sore point for the doctors and nurses interviewed focuses on the people claiming they were supporting health care workers while also refusing to wear masks, get vaccinated, or follow a public health mandate.

A registered nurse at KLH, Cam Butler was disappointed to be lumped in with a cause he does not support.

香蕉视频直播淲e live in a country where we have freedom of speech and choice, and all those things, and protesting for what you believe in, objectively, is great and I support that.

香蕉视频直播淚t just comes at a challenging time when we香蕉视频直播檝e been working against this pandemic for a year and a half 香蕉视频直播� and we all just want it to be over. I feel this is kind of like a step in the wrong direction.香蕉视频直播�

For Dusty Portz, a registered nurse in Castlegar, being vaccinated is a key element to working in public health.

香蕉视频直播淚 know the huge majority of people really actually do care and are doing the right thing. This is just a small minority of outspoken people who for some reason think they香蕉视频直播檙e warriors for humanity, when really they香蕉视频直播檙e just putting us backwards.香蕉视频直播�

Other doctors and nurses interviewed expressed outrage that some colleagues, who they did not name, were at the demonstration.

Ty Wright, a registered nurse in Castlegar, said those health care workers did not speak for the majority of nurses.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 shocking to me that there香蕉视频直播檚 so many people who are just caught in this loop of protecting their rights and freedoms when it香蕉视频直播檚 not even really a restriction of the rights and freedoms in the grand scheme of things.香蕉视频直播�

But not everyone has lost hope.

Lisa Keech, a registered nurse in Trail, is critical of the protests and any health care workers who took part, especially as there is now ample evidence to show the seriousness of the pandemic.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 believe that our communities are going to be divided. People are going to see that their lives really aren香蕉视频直播檛 going to be that impacted 香蕉视频直播� and most people are doing the right thing.香蕉视频直播�

CORRECTION: The original version of this story stated Taryn O香蕉视频直播橤enski worked at Nelson香蕉视频直播檚 Kootenay Lake Hospital. O香蕉视频直播橤enski actually works in Castlegar.

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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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