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As COVID-19 numbers decline, it’s time for staff at the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit to return to their pre-pandemic duties, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jim Chirico says.
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In his report to the board of health at a recent meeting, Chirico said vaccination efforts will be scaled back, with the mobile vaccination clinics on a retrofitted North Bay Transit bus resuming “once the snow clears.”
It also means that “some of the staff that has been redeployed to immunizations will move back to their regular work,” tackling backlogs that have occurred due to the pandemic.
But, he warned, “we have to be flexible, depending on whether or not things change, such as any potential issues with further variants.
“But right now, everything is going in a very positive direction.”
Many of the health unit’s employees – there are 168 full-time equivalent positions there – were reassigned to address the pandemic almost two years ago, and some responsibilities had to be assigned lower priority.
It meant some backlogs were built up in those other areas, the health unit said in response to emailed questions, and “some programs were affected more than others due to staff redeployment.”
“With the focus on COVID-19 over the past two years, a number of services were put on hold such as, but not limited to: in-school vision screening, oral health screening, publicly funded school-age immunizations, non-urgent sexual health and oral health services, food safety certification training, and in-person prenatal, parenting and food skills development programs.
“In addition, working with community partners to research, develop or implement health promotion and protection strategies to address other areas of public health importance were also put on hold.”
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The health unit notes that wait lists have grown for preventative services, “and there is much to catch up on with routine immunizations for children and students in our district.”
The return to normal operations, the health unit said, will be carried out gradually, taking into account factors such as staff redeployment and turnover through the pandemic. Community partner readiness can also affect the pace at which regular services resume.
“Additionally, the pandemic has resulted in a number of negative indirect impacts (such as an increase in opioid-related deaths). Consequently, for years to come there will be a need for more intensive work in some areas than was required pre-pandemic.”
But while some services had to be sidelined, the health unit noted that some areas, such as urgent oral health and sexual health services, “outbreak management activities for diseases of public health significance, enhanced harm reduction and substance use services and work (including surveillance and health promotion activities), Healthy Babies Healthy Children services, business/operator inspection and investigation services, and infection prevention and control activities” could not be de-prioritized.
The health unit “is confident” that, if it has to shift back into covid mode, “we will be able to respond.”
Health unit easing back into pre-pandemic mode - The North Bay Nugget
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