7.5.11 Delivery of Healthcare Services During the Pandemic

Introduction

The announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 and the subsequent imposition of non-pharmaceutical interventions had a profound impact on all aspects of society, with the healthcare system being one of the most severely disrupted sectors.

As a result of the country-wide media/propaganda campaign, citizens were unduly alarmed and terrorized at the prospect of a novel coronavirus. This terror permeated all of society including healthcare professionals.

False information propagated by government agencies led Canadians to believe they were facing the most dangerous pandemic since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. It could be argued that in the very early part of 2020, healthcare officials did not yet understand the nature of the virus; however, based on the statistics being published by Health Canada, by the end of March 2020, healthcare officials already understood who was at risk and who was not at risk from COVID-19.

Governments, healthcare providers, and patients worldwide were forced to grapple with numerous challenges and adapt to new realities brought about by the interventions imposed by the governments.

Furthermore, public health officials were given control over planning for and execution of the government‘s emergency response. Public health officials are not experienced in, or trained to undertake, the massive task of first understanding a potential emergency of this magnitude and taking the appropriate steps to deal with it. This inexperience and incompetence was evident from the very beginning of the pandemic.

The main goal of public health officials in designing and implementing the pandemic response was to protect the “healthcare system”. The goal of the response should have been to protect/minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the “public”.

This fatal flaw in setting the wrong strategic goal for the pandemic response resulted in major disruptions in service, the misallocation of resources, plus the unnecessary terrorizing of an entire population.

Major disruptions to the delivery of healthcare in Canada were the result of these and many more failures.

Testimony Concerning the Delivery of Healthcare Services During the Pandemic

Quickly after the imposition of the public health officials’ mandates, large areas of the healthcare system began to shut down.

Sections of hospitals designated as “non-essential“ were closed down, and staff were allocated to emergency care and ICU areas, waiting for the predicted wave of COVID-19 cases, which never came. Witnesses reported that prior to COVID-19, the emergency rooms were extremely busy, and following the imposition of the lockdown and mandates, the emergency rooms were empty and staff were idle; staff not allocated to these areas were sent home.

What were deemed to be “non-essential“ procedures, tests, and treatments were cancelled and/or postponed indefinitely.

Some patients who were injured or developed medical conditions refused to go to the hospital or see their doctors out of fear. Some people did not go to the hospital because the media had been telling them that hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases; that was untrue, based on testimony.

Routine office-based medical services were also temporarily halted. Many doctors were afraid to see patients. According to witness testimony, some doctors refused to see patients, and others attempted to meet with patients over the phone.

When vaccines became available, an entirely new and cruel set of issues presented themselves. The terror and hatred that appeared to have been so carefully cultivated by certain politicians and mainstream media, set those who were injected against those who chose not to be injected.

Witnesses stated that patients presenting themselves in emergency rooms were treated with disrespect and, in some cases, distain. Witnesses, both patients and staff, described a toxic atmosphere of hate and bullying. Patients who were not injected were isolated, labelled, and in some cases refused medical attention.

As the governmentresponses extended to forced vaccinations, staffing shortages began to arise. Hundreds, if not thousands, of staff who were now being forced to get the injection or loose their jobs, resigned, quit, took early retirement, or were fired.

At a time when the media was telling Canadians that there was a shortage of healthcare professionals, they were covering up the fact that the government‘s own policies were in fact causing those shortages to occur. Often the system lost the most experienced and knowledgeable staff members to early retirement.

What the government was further keeping from the public was that prior to and leading into the pandemic, there were chronic shortages of staff and resources already.

The pandemic response also affected healthcare in a number of other ways: through disruption of supply systems and through the creation of shortages of all types of necessary supplies, including personal protective equipment.

Finally, there was the enormous reallocation of equipment, facilities, staff, and financial resources into the mandated testing and vaccination program.

Since the healthcare officials already knew what segment of the population was at risk to COVID-19, they should also have focused their attention on that specific segment of the population.

Based on the data provided by the vaccine manufactures to Health Canada, it was obvious that the vaccines were not effective in protecting people from the infection, and the safety profile of the vaccines was unknown. Furthermore, no testing had been carried out to determine if the injections actually prevented or reduced the spread of the disease.

Based on all of these known facts, implementing a universal testing and vaccination program was pointless, at best, and potentially life threatening to Canadians.

Among these disruptions, three major issues stand out: the postponement of regular treatments, patient fear of hospitals, and the shutdowns of elective surgeries.

Postponement of Regular Treatments:

One significant disruption to the healthcare system caused by COVID-19 measures is the postponement or cancellation of regular treatments for non-COVID-related conditions.

As the government implemented their pandemic policies, healthcare facilities were refocused to deal with a predicted overwhelming influx of COVID-19 patients, which never came. This resulted in a shutdown or slowdown on resources such as hospital beds, medical equipment, and healthcare personnel. Hospitals had to repurpose resources and prioritize the care of predicted COVID-19 patients, often leading to the postponement of non-urgent procedures and treatments.

This delay had serious consequences for patients suffering from chronic illnesses, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other conditions, potentially leading to disease progression, reduced quality of life, and even increased mortality rates.

Patient Fear of Hospitals:

Another significant disruption resulting from the fear propagated by the government and media was the widespread fear and hesitancy among patients to seek medical care in hospitals and healthcare settings. The government and media had exaggerated the contagious nature and lethality of the virus. This coupled with the uncertainty surrounding its transmission initially led to a general perception that hospitals were high-risk environments for contracting COVID-19.

Fearful of exposure, many individuals with health concerns opted to delay or altogether avoid seeking medical attention, even for urgent conditions. This fear resulted in a decline in routine check-ups, preventive screenings, and early detection of diseases, which could lead to long-term health consequences as undiagnosed conditions progress untreated.

Shutdowns of Elective Surgeries:

Elective surgeries, which are planned procedures that are not immediately life-threatening but necessary for patients‘ wellbeing, have been significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 response. To preserve resources, minimize the risk of exposure to the virus, and ensure sufficient capacity to handle COVID-19 cases, many healthcare systems implemented temporary shutdowns or restrictions on elective surgeries. This measure aimed to redirect medical staff, equipment, and hospital beds to COVID-19 response efforts.

This strategy resulted in substantial backlogs of elective procedures, negatively impacting patients who required surgeries for conditions such as joint replacements, cataracts, and hernias. The delays in these surgeries have caused prolonged suffering, decreased quality of life, and increased wait times for those in need of essential care.

This strategy was the direct result of the incorrect planning of the pandemic response. In other words, the response was designed to protect the healthcare system, it was not designed to protect patients.

Conclusion

The government‘s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the healthcare system in various ways, including the postponement of regular treatments, patient fear of hospitals, and the shutdown of elective surgeries. These disruptions have had severe consequences for patients, leading to disease progression, decreased preventive care, and increased wait times for necessary procedures.

Recommendations

Based on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, several recommendations could be made to improve the healthcare system and prevent similar disruptions to normal healthcare services in the future.

These recommendations focus on building resilience, preparedness, and adaptability in the healthcare system. Here are some key suggestions:

A. Ensure Proper Emergency Response, Planning, and Implementation: Public health officials are not trained in the planning and implementing of national integrated emergency response to major public health emergencies. In future, the responsibility for planning and implementing such emergency plans must be undertaken by the emergency measures organizations that already exist for this purpose. Public health must play an active role as technical consultant to the Emergency Measures apparatus but should never be placed in control of it.

B. Invest in Healthcare Infrastructure: Strengthen the healthcare infrastructure by first rationalizing the current inventory and capacity of the system, and then increasing the capacity of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities, if required. This may include investing in more beds, medical equipment, and essential supplies to handle potential surges in patient volumes and designating alternative facilities and mechanisms to share resources across provincial jurisdictions.

C. Enhance Telehealth Services: Expand and promote telehealth services to provide virtual consultations and healthcare support. Telehealth can reduce the burden on physical healthcare facilities, increase accessibility to healthcare services, and ensure continuity of care during emergencies.

D. Improve Data Collection and Analysis: Establish a robust data collection and analysis system to monitor healthcare resources, disease outbreaks, and public health trends. Timely and accurate data can help inform evidence-based decision-making and resource allocation during crises.

E. Maintain Strategic Stockpiles: Create and maintain strategic stockpiles of essential medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and medications. These stockpiles can help mitigate shortages during emergencies and protect healthcare workers.

F. Support Healthcare Workforce: Ensure the wellbeing and resilience of healthcare workers by providing mental health support, appropriate training for handling emergencies, and fair compensation. A strong and supported workforce is crucial in times of crisis.

G. Improve Collaboration and Communication: Enhance coordination and communication between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as with healthcare providers and public health agencies. Effective communication channels can facilitate rapid response and the dissemination of critical information.

H. Pandemic Preparedness Plans: Develop and regularly update comprehensive pandemic preparedness plans at all levels of the healthcare system. These plans should outline specific strategies and protocols for managing various types of pandemics and health emergencies.

I. Training and Dissemination of Emergency Plans: As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, existing plans were sidelined and many healthcare workers were not aware of the existence of any plans. Emergency plans must be distributed widely and reviewed with healthcare workers at all levels, and the public should have access to seminars and information sessions. The best plan in the world if unseen and unrehearsed is useless.

J. Public Health Education and Awareness: Strengthen public health education and awareness programs to inform the general population about disease prevention, natural immune system upkeep, and appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviour during outbreaks.

K. Supply Chain Resilience: Diversify and strengthen the supply chain for essential medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and minimize disruptions during global crises.

L. Regional Response Capacity: Establish regional response capacities to handle healthcare crises, allowing for more focused responses in areas heavily affected by outbreaks while maintaining healthcare services in other regions.

M. Long-Term Care Facilities: Implement improved infection control measures in long-term care facilities to protect vulnerable populations during outbreaks and prioritize their healthcare needs.

N. Flexible Healthcare Services: Develop flexible healthcare service models that can quickly adapt to changing circumstances. This could involve creating mobile healthcare units, flexible staffing arrangements, and alternative care facilities during emergencies.

Implementing these recommendations requires a collective effort from governments, healthcare providers, communities, and individuals. By learning from the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and taking proactive measures, Canada can enhance its healthcare system‘s resilience and better protect the health and wellbeing of its citizens in the face of future health emergencies.