Unpublished Cafe: Muzzled Healthcare Workers

Description

PUBLISHED: 29/01/2021

Front line health workers face fear of Covid infection everyday. Almost 1-in-5 account for infections. Yet, added to that fear and anxiety is the ongoing threat of intimidation and muzzling by health care administrators.

We heard about this disconcerting issue back at the beginning of the pandemic. Physicians and nurses being told not to speak to the media or face the wrath of their employer. Fired, suspended, disciplined for speaking out about concerns they face everyday.

The healthcare industry has been calling for whistleblower protection since the SARS outbreak. Will the government finally commit to protecting healthcare workers that point out failures in safety?

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GUESTS:

Jim Brophy - Adjunct Assistant Professor Dept. Sociology, Anthropology & Criminology at University of Windsor - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/ James_Brophy6

Doris Grinspun - CEO at Registered Nurses Association of Ontario - https:// rnao.ca/about/board/chief-executive-officer

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REFERENCES:

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/12/04/health-care-workers-feel-muzzled-and-alone-study.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/hospitals-fire-doctors-nurses-covid-19_n_5ea2fcb1c5b6f9639813d50b?ri18n=true

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/11/third-surge-breaking-healthcare-workers/617091/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/15/russia-health-workers-face-retaliation-speaking-out#

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/hospitals-crack-down-on-covid-19-complaints

https://www.azfamily.com/news/continuing_coverage/coronavirus_coverage/yuma-er-doctor-who-says-he-was-fired-after-covid-19-tweets-returns-to-work/article_0f831dec-3bbd-11eb-a680-f747de66928a.html

https://www.longwoods.com/newsdetail/7723

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records/sars/report/v5-pdf/Vol5Chp7.pdf

https://theconversation.com/silenced-and-sacrificed-covid-19-health-care-workers-secret-suffering-unveiled-150675