Are other healthcare providers hitting their breaking point?

Hello all, and please feel free to remove if against any rules.I have spent the last ~20 years at some level of public health and communicable disease management, including at the federal level. About 7 years ago I left the public service and started my own travel vaccination program. I’m nearly at the point where I’ve been a nurse longer than I have not been a nurse.In our area, the increased eligibility meant that about 28,000 more people were able to obtain booster doses if their last dose was 168 days prior as of this past Monday. My program is not large, and I’ve still provided thousands of vaccinations at no cost (as I am a Nurse Practitioner I cannot bill OHIP directly) while still maintaining our other programs that do pay to keep the lights on.Over the past year I, as a small office, have had to deal with harassment and ignorance from people demanding exemption letters, saying I’m on the take from pharma companies, etc… A colleague of mine in Alberta took a battery to the head and decided to take a year’s leave. I’ve known multiple people taking early retirement.Due to the increased eligibility, most pharmacies, health facilities and clinics were booking into January. This included myself; a couple hundred doses weekly in addition to stuff I actually need to do. Many of the pharmacists I do know are also at their limit. I opened all the bookings I could reasonably handle, and I’ve still had people showing up non stop asking, begging, demanding for their booster.Tuesday many pharmacies and healthcare providers received memorandums from the province that basically said ‘good job, but prioritize vaccinations for the near future’. And a day later, without warning, increased eligibility to the point that another 40,000+ people in our area are now eligible as of Friday/Monday.At noon today following probably my 100th phone call and 30th time getting yelled at for not accommodating someone I have never met for a vaccine appointment I don’t get paid for I unplugged my office phone, turned off my voicemail and just have a message saying COVID vaccination bookings are made online on our website and not come into the office, other appointments or necessary correspondence email the office. I’m fairly sure I won’t be plugging it back in until after Christmas.I have almost a hundred people to see tomorrow either for vaccinations or PCR testing.My nursing colleagues working in the ER and ICU are all f**ked up over the last two years. For many of them they had periods where someone was dying every single day. My community physician colleagues have faired somewhat better as many have been able to transition to virtual appointments but they also get s**t on by patients who demand they be seen in person and lie about not having respiratory symptoms.To find out we may end up in the midst of the largest wave so far; it’s just too much.For all of you not in healthcare, please be patient and kind. Many of us are holding on by a very tenuous grasp. If you have a pharmacy you regularly go to, think about sending them a thank you card. If you get home care; tell your PSWs or nurses you appreciate them. If you’re in the ER or hospital, please try and be kind.Seriously, let’s just try and be kind to each other for the next bit. It’s probably going to get dark again for a bit. via /r/ontario https://ift.tt/3sbdj5q