Discussions

Data provided by the B.C. government shows that as of Nov. 4 when there were a cumulative 16,135 lab-confirmed cases in B.C., the number of infections among healthcare workers was 1,442. Three months ago, the figure was 822.

The hospital-centric approach in the first wave made sense. The second wave, however, needs a more thoughtful approach. The majority of care happens in the community. Family doctors alone provide two-thirds of all health-care visits — not to mention the care done by other community-based physicians, including specialists, those providing diagnostic services, and other health professionals.

I wouldn’t have thought anything less of my day if the porters had arrived, not said a word and just moved around the various beds and wheelchairs, with us as patients in them, from the required point A to point B. But in the Civic day surgery unit, porters are not just porters, they are Walt Disney magical carpet ride directors.