NDP Health Critic David Shepherd says the provincial government needs to do more to recognize the toll the pandemic has had on the physical and emotional health for front line health workers.
Shepherd was on the Trending 55 Hot Seat and says mental health supports need to be made available for those workers.
“Some of these folks have endured incredible trauma on the front lines, many of them unfortunately may develop PTSD, yet this government took away their access to it through presumptive coverage under workers compensation benefits. We need to restore that and we need to have a robust mental health care support system in place for these workers to help them recover.”
Shepherd also says that comments made in the legislature last week by Peace River MLA Dan Williams are another case of the UCP undermining the efforts of health care workers.
“When I heard the comments from Dan Williams, my jaw hit the floor. This was an over the top, incredible inflammatory record, making comments like suggesting that Alberta Health Services has been, and I quote, “holding a knife to the throats” of communities that he represents because of their requirements that front line health care workers be vaccinated.”
You can hear our full conversation with Shepherd below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
