Friesen questions MDs’ motivation

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This article was published 02/11/2020 (1417 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s health minister has lashed out at hundreds of doctors and questioned their motivation for demanding his government institute a provincewide lockdown to get rising COVID-19 numbers under control.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen, speaking to a legislative committee meeting on Tuesday, said: “I have to wonder about the motivation of those doctors who signed that letter.”

“I know many of them and I talk to many of them, and I get it. They’re scared and they want the best for their patients — and I absolutely agree.

“But I wonder at the motivation to produce that letter to generate it at a time when they knew it would have maximum effect in causing chaos in the system when Manitobans need most to understand that the people in charge have got this.”

The video clip of Friesen was shared by NDP Leader Wab Kinew on Twitter.

Manitoba’s Health Minister says of the 200+ Doctors who signed an open letter to him & the Premier:
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“I have to wonder about the motivation of those Doctors.”
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As far as I know those doctors are motivated by the desire to care for MBs.
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The Minister should say what he means. pic.twitter.com/GLLQ5RGMlW

— Wab Kinew (@WabKinew) November 3, 2020

 

Kinew said Friesen was disrespectful for calling out doctors.

“The doctors who signed this letter took a serious professional risk to speak out against government inaction because of their commitment to protecting Manitobans. Instead of attacking them, the minister and the PC premier would do well to listen to their advice.”

Two groups of doctors have criticized the Tory government for its pandemic response. The first group involved 11 physicians and scientists, who said Friday the government must shut down the province to stem COVID-19 cases. A second group, involving 200 doctors, came forward this week.

On Tuesday, in a statement, the group of 11 reiterated its belief the government needs to close more areas of the province as well as outsource COVID-19 tests to get the virus under control.

In the statement, the group, which includes Dr. Dan Roberts, a longtime critical-care physician at the Health Sciences Centre and a professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba, said they know new restrictions were put in place in both Winnipeg and the rest of Manitoba as of Monday but “while we applaud these measures, we remain deeply concerned.”

Statement from doctors

As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, Manitoba moved to code red restrictions, which bans in-person dining in restaurants, reduces gathering sizes for faith-based groups and limits capacity at grocery stores and pharmacies.

The doctors say the province must suspend all in-class instruction for high school and post-secondary students, close all non-essential retail and service businesses, ban public indoor gatherings, and put in place stringent occupancy limits for essential retail and service businesses. They say elementary school classes can remain open.

As well, they say all out-of-province travellers and visitors should have to isolate for 14 days and gatherings should be restricted to just members of individual households.

“Although we are aware that there will be negative financial, social and mental health consequences arising from these measures, we are convinced that ignoring them will very likely result in a much more severe and protracted lockdown and a greater number of preventable deaths.”

In an interview, Roberts said, “The question is how long do you want to shut down: two weeks or three months?”

“If this were implemented tomorrow, we would still be looking at two weeks (with case numbers rising).

“We need to cool this down.”

The group of 11 also includes Dr. Pamela Orr, acting head of infectious diseases at the U of M, Dr. Philip St. John, head of geriatrics at U of M, and Dr. Allan Ronald, a renowned infectious disease expert and founder of the Ugandan-based Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca