Faces of the fight from Dr. Julie Stakiw: Pandemic to present cancer care challenges
By Dr. Julie Stakiw, Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Medical Director, member of the Immunization Clinical Expert Advisory Council, and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency Clinical Pandemic Lead.
There’s no doubt the fourth wave of COVID-19 is here in Saskatchewan.
It’s getting tiring – for physicians, for nurses, for other vital health-care providers, for leaders, and for patients. Health-care leadership in Saskatchewan, including at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, have prepared for this fourth wave. We’ve made plans that we’ve hoped we’d never have to put into action but, here we are, now making the changes now necessary for staff and safety practices as COVID-19 evolves.
Cancer care has always been a health priority in Saskatchewan, and it remains so, even during this pandemic. But the strain on the health-care system because of COVID-19 has meant and will continue to mean, challenges for all of us, including those needing and those providing cancer care.
As a cancer care team, we will continue to advocate for our patients and plan proactively to ensure they can both navigate the system and receive the care they need. We are part of the solution.
Frustration and fatigue are everywhere right now. We will all have to work harder for a while. We are stronger together, as a health-care team, so please be kind and patient to each other. I strongly urge physicians and health-care teams with access to home rapid screening test kits to use them. Make them your new best friends. With the Delta variant and rising case numbers, infection and asymptomatic transmission is a very real concern. Therefore, test to protect. Test yourself and test your family. Let’s keep one another safe
I strongly urge everyone, within the health system or not, to get vaccinated.
If you are not vaccinated and have questions or concerns, reach out to your physician. The vaccines are safe and effective. Two doses work to prevent severe COVID infection, especially that caused by the Delta variant.
Get vaccinated. Stay safe. Help the health-care system so it’s there for you when you need it most.
