First Nations in northern Ontario facing COVID surge amid health-care worker shortage
Article content material
A public well being official says First Nations in northern Ontario are in a “very dire scenario” as they take care of a surge in COVID-19 instances and an ongoing scarcity of health-care employees.
Article content material
Dr. Lloyd Douglas with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Well being Authority says rising instances in distant First Nation communities within the north are placing an “further burden” on health-care companies that had been already strained earlier than the pandemic.
In Sandy Lake First Nation, a couple of seventh of the inhabitants — or 613 individuals out of roughly 3,500 individuals — had COVID-19 as of Monday.
The chief of the First Nation says her group presently has about half of the 12 nurses it’s alleged to.
Chief Delores Kakegamic says the employees scarcity has meant nurses have not too long ago been restricted to tending to well being emergencies.
Douglas says all ranges of presidency should work collectively to place plans and insurance policies in place to keep up the sources vital to supply sufficient well being care to First Nation communities.