KAWARTHA LAKES-At least 20 staff at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay could be placed on leave on Monday if they don’t provide proof of vaccination.
Hospital officials say roughly 98 per cent of the 1,000 staff have indicated they are fully vaccinated, leaving approximately 20 staff who are either unvaccinated or have not provided vaccine status.
“Employees and contract staff who have not submitted proof of full vaccination or an acceptable medical exemption by November 1, 2021 will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence. Credentialed Professional Staff who have not submitted proof of full vaccination or an acceptable medical exemption by November 1, 2021 will be subject to disciplinary action and have their privileges reviewed in accordance with the Public Hospitals Act and Article 4 of the RMH Professional Staff Bylaws pertaining to Monitoring, Suspension and Revocation of Privileges.” Ryan Young told Kawartha 411 News.
RMH says they have made on-site vaccinations available to employees and physicians. Those that are not fully vaccinated have been subject to weekly rapid antigen testing.
Surgeries in British Columbia are being postponed and access to diagnostic tests at hospitals and clinics are being reduced because of the loss of healthcare workers who have not been vaccinated according to the Vancouver Sun. More than 4,000 health-care workers who have not received at least one dose of vaccine were placed on unpaid leave on Tuesday. They have until Nov. 15 to get their first dose or they will be fired.
Nearly 200 University Health Network employees are expected to have their employment terminated after failing to comply with an Oct. 22 deadline to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The hospital says approximately 181 UHN employees had failed to provide proof of vaccination and were therefore not compliant with the hospital network’s new policy, which was first announced back in August.
The Hospital for Sick Children placed 147 of its employees on unpaid leaves for failing to comply with a similar vaccine mandate.
Windsor Regional Hospital fired 57 employees who failed to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by their deadline. 140 others were placed on unpaid leave.
A handful of employees have been put on unpaid leave after not following the vaccination rules at Sault Area Hospital. The hospital would not release exact numbers. In North Bay, approximately 40 hospital workers aren’t in compliance with the new vaccination policy and “could progress to dismissal as early as this week” hospital officials said in early October.
Health Sciences North in Sudbury says 70 people who have not provided proof of vaccination yet could be fired. According to Timmins and District Hospital, six per cent of its employees have not yet been fully vaccinated and have until Oct. 29 to get both shots.
Ontario ranks seventh among Canadian provinces in the number of family doctors per 100,000 patients (2.3) and, if it were a country, would have one of the lowest doctor-to-population rankings among OECD countries (29 out of 33) according to the Ontario Medical Association. The shortage is especially acute in northern and rural areas.
Young says the decision was not taken lightly, but rather after much consultation and collaboration with our peer hospitals in the Central East LHIN.
“Ross Memorial Hospital leadership feels strongly that we must lead by example and take every measure available to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keep all of our patients, colleagues, and the broader community safe.”
