As hundreds in Nelson were demonstrating against the provincial government含羞草研究社檚 plan for vaccine passports, an impossible choice was being made.
Taryn O含羞草研究社橤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含羞草研究社橤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含羞草研究社檛 vaccinated.
The woman, O含羞草研究社橤enski said, had to be sent to Trail含羞草研究社檚 Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH).
She later died there.
O含羞草研究社橤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.
含羞草研究社淭he reality is that these are the choices that we含羞草研究社檙e having to make, and I含羞草研究社檓 much more inclined to be helping someone who含羞草研究社檚 vaccinated, with breast cancer, and going through chemotherapy than a 51-year-old who含羞草研究社檚 like, 含羞草研究社榃hy does it matter if I got vaccinated?含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 Kootenay Lake Hospital (KLH), described the protests as 含羞草研究社渁 kick in the teeth.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝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含羞草研究社檛 real 含羞草研究社� I含羞草研究社檓 a bit embarrassed by it.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 disappointed in patients who haven含羞草研究社檛 taken the pandemic seriously or are yet to be vaccinated.
含羞草研究社淲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 含羞草研究社� Kelowna, Penticton, Cranbrook, or another site that is not at capacity.
含羞草研究社淚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.含羞草研究社�
The West Kootenay went mostly untouched by COVID-19 throughout 2020, but an outbreak in the province含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淚 really don含羞草研究社檛 know how as a society we含羞草研究社檙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含羞草研究社檒l be seen as a success. I think we含羞草研究社檙e going to have a lot of soul-searching in terms of how we got to that place.含羞草研究社�
Castlegar含羞草研究社檚 Dr. Megan Taylor calls the protests 含羞草研究社渇arcical.含羞草研究社� She supports the passport, which she believes will push more British Columbians to get vaccinated. There含羞草研究社檚 evidence to show she含羞草研究社檚 right 含羞草研究社� the number of first doses rose by 90 per cent in the week after the passport was announced.
含羞草研究社淚 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含羞草研究社檚 what it takes, great.含羞草研究社�
Nelson含羞草研究社檚 Dr. Lauren Galbraith said she was disheartened by the protests, but relieved they didn含羞草研究社檛 occur outside local hospitals. In Kelowna, scenes of a crowd outside the hospital there, blocking the path of an ambulance, went viral.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 tough when people含羞草研究社檚 decisions are affecting other people含羞草研究社檚 health. This small group of individuals, for whatever reason, can含羞草研究社檛 seem to wrap their head around.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淲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.
含羞草研究社淚t just comes at a challenging time when we含羞草研究社檝e been working against this pandemic for a year and a half 含羞草研究社� and we all just want it to be over. I feel this is kind of like a step in the wrong direction.含羞草研究社�
For Dusty Portz, a registered nurse in Castlegar, being vaccinated is a key element to working in public health.
含羞草研究社淚 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含羞草研究社檙e warriors for humanity, when really they含羞草研究社檙e just putting us backwards.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 shocking to me that there含羞草研究社檚 so many people who are just caught in this loop of protecting their rights and freedoms when it含羞草研究社檚 not even really a restriction of the rights and freedoms in the grand scheme of things.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 believe that our communities are going to be divided. People are going to see that their lives really aren含羞草研究社檛 going to be that impacted 含羞草研究社� and most people are doing the right thing.含羞草研究社�
CORRECTION: The original version of this story stated Taryn O含羞草研究社橤enski worked at Nelson含羞草研究社檚 Kootenay Lake Hospital. O含羞草研究社橤enski actually works in Castlegar.
READ MORE:
含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社�
| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
Like us on and follow us on .
Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation .
