'Freedom Convoy' makes healthcare delivery difficult in Ottawa

The so-called Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa had a major impact on healthcare delivery over the Jan. 29 weekend and continues into the week. Vaccine clinics were closed, healthcare professionals had trouble getting to their jobs and vulnerable populations were adversely affected. The protest shut down much of the downtown core of the city and closed bridges that connect Ottawa with Gatineau, Que. Impact on healthcare workers Many staff of Inner City Health, which provides healthcare to people experiencing homelessness, live in the city's downtown core, where the protest remains in full swing. With the constant honking and shouting from the crowds, some haven't been able to sleep for two nights. “They couldn’t come in to work because they weren’t safe to work, they were too sleep-deprived,” said Wendy Muckle, CEO and nurse for Inner City Staff. Healthcare staff who live across the river in Quebec had difficulty crossing the region’s five bridges into Ottawa. Throughout the weekend and on Monday, hospitals have sent traffic updates to their staff. By Monday afternoon, one bridge was open for essential services staff who showed their identification cards. On Monday, the Montfort Hospital apologized to staff for the changing travel recommendations. The city’s bus and light rail service continues to see service disrupted, with many routes forced to change course. A medical student working at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario said in a post on Twitter that she simply hadn’t been able to return to her downtown apartment after finishing a shift on Jan. 29. Despite the traffic problems, Ottawa’s hospitals made it clear that they were open as usual, and that those in need of medical attention should not delay it. Monfort Hospital added that it understands the frustration the protest is causing: “We also want to ensure our staff members know how truly they are appreciated, by our entire community. We recognize how frustrating and disheartening these protests are, particularly when we have been working so hard, for so long, under such difficult conditions,” the hospital tweeted on Jan. 28. Read: My personal 'freedom convoy' The Ottawa Paramedic Service asked for police escorts after rocks were hurled at an ambulance and racial slurs were directed at the paramedic, the Ottawa Citizen reported. Meanwhile, the Shepherds of Good Hope reported trucks blocking access to the police and paramedics drop-off lane and protesters were disruptive around the downtown shelter. “Staff and volunteers were on the receiving end of harassment for meals, individuals sneaking in when they had been escorted out, and generally a colossal amount of disrespect by some for the work we do and those we are here to assist,” Dierdre Freiheit, president and CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope wrote in a letter to staff and partners, posted on Facebook. Freiheit said there has been a great deal of support for the foundations since then, including donations and offers to volunteer. Impact on caring for vulnerable populations “It has been very challenging for our clients, the noise, disruption and feeling generally unsafe,” Muckle said. “The shelters are a chaotic environment to begin with—it’s hard to sleep there—and then having all of external noise with all of the trucks was really tough on them because people just had not gotten any sleep for a couple of days." Temperatures stayed below -20°C over the weekend. With downtown libraries, most businesses, the large Rideau Centre mall all closed, there were few places to find shelter. The crowded streets made it hard for patients to find quiet to manage their behaviours, Muckle said. “Those kinds of situations just drive substance use as people feel the need to calm and self-soothe. If any of the normal things they use to do that aren’t available, drugs and alcohol are usually the go-to." With the crowds outside, people are driven to more hidden places to use, making it hard for healthcare staff to check on them, she noted. Everything staff and patients in the city’s shelters have been contending with has been made harder to deal with because of the protest: crowded shelters, opioid crisis, mental health problems, substance use and a shelter-wide outbreak spread of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. “It amped up the risk for everyone involved,” she said. Other vulnerable populations were affected. Carefor, which provides home healthcare, noted on Jan. 28 that they might not be able to get to all appointments. Centennial Public School, near Parliament Hill, was closed Monday with students shifted to online learning. The elementary school has regular classes as well as a program for children with severe physical limitations and a language learning disabilities program. High Jinks, a store and community outreach program that provides meals and clothing, was inaccessible due to trucks and protesters on Jan. 31. Read: People are 'fed up': Quebec follows Ontario's lead and loosens COVID-19 restrictions Vaccine clinics shut Ottawa Public Health closed the large vaccine clinic at the University of Ottawa from Friday, Jan. 28 to Monday, Jan. 31. Another clinic in the Lowertown area of Ottawa was also closed. Those with appointments were asked to reschedule. Across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, the area’s largest vaccine clinic at the Palais des Congrès was closed for the weekend. The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais (CISSSO) said those with an appointment would be contacted to reschedule. CISSSO told Le Droit that 2,144 appointments had been made for the weekend, and 17 hours of walk-in appointments would have also been available. Read: Canada's PM Justin Trudeau says he's tested positive for COVID-19

'Freedom Convoy' makes healthcare delivery difficult in Ottawa

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