Dr. Smart says there’s a feeling of hopelessness among health-care workers that their governments are not listening to them as they try to manage the pandemic.

Stephanie Taylor and Laura Osman, CP »

The president of the Canadian Medical Association says provinces like Alberta are “gaslighting” health-care workers over the toll the COVID-19 crisis is taking on the health-care system.

“What is happening in the world when we have governments unwilling to listen to the people doing the job?” she told a news conference on Wednesday.

The doctors organization joined with the Canadian Nurses Association to hold an emergency summit Tuesday with health-care workers discussing how to move forward, as COVID-19 cases climb in parts of the country, pushing health systems to the brink.

Together, they called on governments to address staffing shortages across Canada through better retention and recruitment efforts, as well as provide “immediate relief” to those working in COVID-19 hot zones.

The organizations also want governments to commit to protect health systems from collapsing by bringing in public health measures needed to prevent further spread of the virus, and empower school boards to do the same.

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