(Ottawa) An Ottawa family doctor who organized massive COVID-19 immunization clinics earlier this year is calling on the Prime Minister to act to better protect healthcare workers from threats.
The “jabapalooza” vaccination clinics of the DD Nili Kaplan-Myrth, organized outdoors in a residential area last spring, had attracted attention. But after receiving a threatening letter, she announces that she will not organize a new event when the vaccine is approved for young children.
“I’m downright scared to come out of my office, even in broad daylight, because someone said he was going to kill me,” she said in an interview Thursday.
“So how can I bring together and immunize people who are not my patients?” She added.
The DD Kaplan-Myrth even says she doesn’t feel safe walking around her own neighborhood on her own.
“It’s one thing when it comes to a Twitter troll telling you you’re a horrible person to immunize people. You can easily block that kind of vitriol, she observes. But it’s another when someone writes a letter saying I should be killed… It’s a line that cannot be crossed. ”
The threat was written in a letter that The Canadian Press was able to see and that was sent to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
In a statement released Thursday, the college says it is aware that the DD Kaplan-Myrth has been the target of threats related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Any significant change in public health policies, as seen during the pandemic, often results in aggressive behavior or public intimidation towards doctors and (college) staff,” commented the institution.
The college ensures that it informs anyone affected by a threat as soon as it becomes aware of it and that it encourages doctors to contact their local police department. In addition, the college indicates that it does not take into account complaints that do not concern the clinical care or professional conduct of a member.
The DD Kaplan-Myrth said he forwarded the letter to the Ottawa Police Service, which a law enforcement spokesperson was able to confirm. Police have confirmed that the threat is aimed at one person and does not endanger the community.
The general practitioner calls on Prime Minister Trudeau because she says she has not received the support requested from the Ontario government. She also launched a cry of alarm on Twitter on Thursday morning.
“Every time the Prime Minister says, ‘keep going, get your shot,’ he speaks to the people of Canada,” she wrote. But also, there are the health workers who do the work on the ground and we are the ones who take the blows. ”
During the recent federal election campaign, the Liberals promised to impose new criminal penalties on people who would block access to immunization clinics, hospitals, testing centers and abortion clinics. These new rules would also apply to anyone who intimidates or threatens healthcare workers.
The NDP also made a similar promise. The two parties reacted to the holding of anti-sanitary measures demonstrations in front of hospitals.
On Monday, Government House Leader Mark Holland reiterated that the promise was high on the list.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office, Ann-Clara Vaillancourt, admitted that any form of harassment towards health workers is unacceptable. She reiterated that the government will fulfill its promise to amend the Criminal Code to include harassment or threats against health workers.
This article was produced with financial assistance from the Facebook and The Canadian Press News Scholarships.