“Sad and disappointed”: Kamloops ER physician reacts to Wednesday protest outside Royal Inland Hospital

KAMLOOPS — After hundreds of people gathered along Columbia Street on Wednesday (Sept. 1) to protest proof-of-vaccination requirements, Kamloops physicians are speaking up.

Dr. Eric Haywood-Farmer is an emergency room physician at Royal Inland Hospital, and says staff who watched the demonstration in front of the hospital Wednesday were appalled at the protest message — and the location choice.

“They’re protesting their ability to go to a restaurant, and I’m fighting to save peoples’ lives.”

The ER doctor says physicians and nurses are working around the clock to treat people, and feels the location of the protest was inappropriate.

“Kind of sad and disappointed that after a year-and-a-half of working so hard to save peoples’ lives and to decrease risk for the community, that this is our reward?”

According to the Dr. Haywood-Farmer, COVID-19 admissions have risen in recent weeks and he’s seen patients who decided against the vaccine and have come to regret it.

“Our hospital is seeing the largest number of COVID cases that we’ve seen so far. We started to notice an uptick about two weeks ago. Over the last two weeks there’s been a huge influx of patients,” he explains, “Two days ago in the ICU, 12 out of 17 beds were occupied by people with COVID.”

While some comments on social media suggest those who gathered did so in support of unvaccinated healthcare workers, others who attended the demonstration claimed to be healthcare workers themselves.

“I don’t personally know of a single person in my circle of people that I work with who is remotely opposed to vaccines,” notes Dr. Haywood-Farmer. Now into the fourth wave of the pandemic, he says staff around all hospital departments are feeling a certain level of exhaustion.

“It’s exhausting to also face my other patients who are waiting for cancer surgery or other procedures who can’t get it done because the hospital resources are all going to people with COVID.”

When asked about the demonstration outside of RIH on Wednesday, IH Medical Health Officer Dr. Carol Fenton says it’s been difficult to please everyone during the pandemic, but health and safety is the ultimate goal.

“In my experience there are people on both sides who are upset. there are people who are upset that we’re not doing enough, that we’re not trying to achieve COVID-zero, that we’re not testing everybody. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum there are people who are upset about the restrictions, and upset about the requirements.”

From the front lines in the ER, Dr. Haywood-Farmer says he hopes the portion of the population who haven’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccination will consider doing so.

“It’s never too late, it’s easy to do. It doesn’t feel bad, and you just get it done.”