[Updated] A number of local doctors are appealing to the public to “please get vaccinated,” saying it “is the best tool we have to survive this pandemic, not only as individuals but as a community.
In an open letter, the doctors said, “Dear Bermuda, We are your healthcare workers. We are your physicians, nurses, dentists, therapists, counselors, technicians and frontline workers.
“We are also your neighbors, 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.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected all of our lives. Our hearts are breaking as we witness the fallout from the effects of the pandemic on our community. 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 already lost a loved one.
“We have lost patients we have treated for decades, who had shared with us not only their medical issues but the details that make up the fabric of their lives. We have seen our patients’ excitement as they discuss their upcoming wedding day, the birth of their first child and seeing that child graduate university.
“And in the past 18 months, we have lost 45 of those patients who we came to know and love. 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.
“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 abilities.
“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.
“We have studied the available data. We have seen the benefits of vaccination with our own eyes. The Covid-19 vaccines are well tested, and highly effective in preventing deadly disease. 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.
“And yes, continue masking, and social distancing, even if you are vaccinated. The Delta variant is highly contagious.
“If you develop any symptoms, please isolate yourself, stay at home and contact your GP. Avoid going to our overwhelmed emergency room, unless you are in a life-threatening situation.
“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.”
Signed,
Your healthcare providers:
- Dr. Benjamin Lau
- Dr. Laura Murphy
- Dr. Stephen Kenny
- Dr. Annie Pinto
- Dr. Sylvanus Nawab
- Dr. Sophie Mathew
- Dr. Hannah Murray
- 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
Update: As of September 24th, nine more local doctors have signed on to the letter, and there names have been added above.
