simmy

Our region is currently witnessing the resignation of the emergency room doctors from a busy hospital due to a breakdown in negotiations between the doctors and the health authority. After reading the position statements of involved parties and events leading up to the resignations i feel completely supportive of the move of these doctors. I am often perplexed that action within healthcare rarely occurs until conditions are extreme and caregiver burnout is imminent. The public, government and media need to be presented the cold hard facts (i.e. the emergency department is closed because the doctors are unable to continue working there under the existing conditions.) in order to be able to understand the effects of cutbacks and government allocation of funds within healthcare. Of significance in this case is the fact that the doctors were not negotiating for an increase in pay; they were requesting an increase from 14 ER doctors to 17 ER doctors to balance the workload. I think it is time that healthcare professionals stop trying to hold up the slack of inadequate funding, increased patient-caregiver ratios and resources at our own expense. Actions speak louder than words; don't you agree?