Courtesy: Alberta Health Services

By Darren Rathwell

Province highlights local workers in COVID battle

Oct 20, 2021 | 5:44 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The province is offering a closer look at the battle Medicine Hat health-care workers are waging against COVID-19.

Alberta Health Services posted a video Wednesday that showcases a pair of local medical professionals.

AHS says the two workers are among an Alberta-wide group of health workers who are volunteering to help in COVID units and ICUs.

The video features Medicine Hat orthopedic surgeon Dr. Debakanta Jena and local registered nurse Michele Welford.

Welford calls the experience of dealing with COVID-19 in hospital eye-opening.

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“It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening up here and I know the staff are exhausted. It’s mentally draining. This is (my) fifth shift up here and I can see the toll it’s taking on the staff,” Welford said.

“(With) nursing we’re supposed to be helping people. We’re supposed to be making them better. It’s hard when you have to beg people to get vaccinated and some people still aren’t believers.. all they have to do is come and work one shift up here and I feel they would be a believer,” Welford added.

“Please do trust us when we tell you that vaccines do work,” Jena said.

Meanwhile, a South Zone health care official says they’ve never dealt with this many severely ill patients at one time before.

You can watch the video here.