Good morning, Other Siders!

Welcome back to another edition of "The Other Side of the Care" – your VIP pass to the wild world of healthcare!

We're diving into the healthcare world with the gusto of a squirrel finding a hidden acorn stash. 🐿️ And hey, did you know it's National Roller Coaster Day? 🎢 Just like the healthcare journey, life's full of twists, turns, and the occasional loop-de-loop. So, grab your virtual cotton candy, and let's ride through the latest global healthcare whirlwind – prescription puns included!

News that impacts you!

🥊 Ready for Round Two?

Guess who's making a comeback? Yep, you guessed it – COVID-19! 🦠 📈 New data from the Public Health Agency of Canada suggests that we might be seeing a slow rise in infections. Now, before you go all "Oh no, not again!" on me, the good news is that the activity is still on the lower side for now.

Experts say waning vaccine immunity, new subvariants, and the indoor season approaching could all be cooking up a COVID comeback stew. But wait, there's more! The Omicron variant's offspring, the XBB subvariants, are getting chatty. The star of the show, EG.5, might be more contagious than its siblings. But don't freak out, it doesn't seem to be hitting healthy folks any harder.

Remember, staying home when feeling under the weather is still the polite thing to do.

🏥 Long Waits or Big Bills: What’s Your Choice?

Imagine hearing those dreaded words, "You're too ill. We can't operate." This nightmare became a reality for Allison Ducluzeau, diagnosed with rare, terminal cancer. Frustrated with long wait times for surgeries in Canada, she jet-set to the U.S. for an urgent procedure. But she's not alone! Healthcare waits are pushing many Canucks to find care abroad.

We're faced with tough choices—wait in line for our health or dip into our wallets and fly elsewhere. So, Canada, what's it gonna be? How much longer are we willing to wait for better care at home?

🚑 Empty Jobs, Full Challenges: Solutions?

It’s not just the patients feeling the brunt of our broken and highly bureaucratic healthcare system, the healthcare providers are feeling the heat too! According to Statistics Canada, the number of empty healthcare jobs in Canada has doubled since the pandemic hit. Nurses, support workers, and care aides are feeling the heat, with an all-time high of 95,800 vacancies in 2022, compared to 40,100 in 2019. Overtime's up, sick leave's up, and burnout's real.

Experts are waving a big red flag – this could lead to a "perfect storm" of overworked and burnt-out healthcare workers. Nurses might be considering leaving the healthcare field for greener pastures. 🌱 And that's not good news for the quality and safety of patient care.

What do think is the solution? Should the regulators ease the entry requirements for 1000s of Internationally Educated Healthcare Providers?

💭Let us know what you think by writing to us at [email protected]

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