Doctors in heartfelt appeal for people to get vaccinated
Doctors yesterday joined forces in an impassioned plea to the public to get vaccinated.
The Bermuda Medical Doctors’ Association said their “hearts were breaking” at the human cost of the pandemic.
The BMDA told the public in an open letter: “You trust us with your lives and the lives of your loved ones every day - for which we are honoured and thankful.
“Using that same trust, please get vaccinated. We ask this from the bottom of our hearts.
“We ask this with all the earnestness we have from dedicating our lives to keeping you safe and well to the best of our ability.”
The letter added: “Our hearts and minds are heavy.
“We are tired, worried, scared, not only for ourselves but for our patients, many of whom are facing the biggest challenge of their lives.
“We are holding the worry of those who are sick and the sorrow of those who have also lost a loved one.
“We have lost patients we have treated for decades, who had shared with us with us not only their medical issues but the details that make up the fabric of our lives.”
The 16 doctors*, who include BMDA board members, told the public: “You have trusted us with every aspect of your health.
“Please, trust us with this as well.
“We are not asking you to do anything that we ourselves have not already done.
“For your sake and for the sake of us all, please get vaccinated.”
The letter said: “We are your healthcare workers. We are your physicians, nurses, dentists, therapists, counsellors, technicians and frontline workers.
“We are also your neighbours, your friends and your relatives. We are your loved ones and you are ours.
“We have worked, played, laughed and cried together.
“We all share the love for this beautiful island we all call home and the dream of a safe and Covid-free world.”
Dr Wendy M Woods, Dr Andrew West, Dr Joseph Froncioni, Dr Jennifer Barth, Dr Annabel Carter, Dr Burton Butterfield, Dr Jonathan Power, Dr Kristen Woodward, Dr Nicola Terceira, Dr Benjamin Lau, Dr Laura Murphy, Dr Stephen Kenny, Dr Annie Pinto, Dr Sylvanus Nawab, Dr Sophie Mathew and Dr Hannah Murray.
The BMDA letter added that Covid-19 had claimed 45 lives so far.
The doctors said: “We have had to break the news to their families that they’ve lost a beloved mother, father, sister, brother or child.
“We are all someone’s child. And we don’t want to have to hold anyone else as they weep for their loss.
“We carry the worry, not only for our acute Covid-19 patients, but for all the patients with any other existing health issues whose care has been delayed due to this pandemic.”
The professional body pledged: “We are tired, but we will never stop working.
“Through burnout, through our own sorrow, we will never stop working for you.
“But the work would be more manageable to us and less taxing on the system if we can prevent too many people from getting seriously ill - and we can.”
The BMDA said it had studied the available information on the vaccine and seen its benefits “with our own eyes”.
“The Covid-19 vaccines are well-tested and highly effective in preventing deadly disease,” added the letter.
“The risks of vaccination are significantly lower than the risk posed by getting ill from Covid-19.
“It is the best tool we have to survive this pandemic, not only as individuals but as a community.”
*The attached letter under related media has been amended to add nine more signatories. There are now 16 signatories.
Need to
Know
2. Please respect the use of this community forum and its users.
3. Any poster that insults, threatens or verbally abuses another member, uses defamatory language, or deliberately disrupts discussions will be banned.
4. Users who violate the Terms of Service or any commenting rules will be banned.
5. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted.
6. To understand further what is and isn't allowed and the actions we may take, please read our Terms of Service
