March 16, 2020

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Public Health Canada, 

We are physicians from coast to coast on the frontlines of healthcare in Canada.

We wish to start by thanking you for leading our country during these tough times and for the announcement you have made today March 16th, 2020 on restricting travel. 

Canadians all across the land listen to you for guidance and direction during these very challenging times. While we applaud some of the measures your administration will be enforcing, we feel that they do not go far enough to slow down the advancement of COVID-19. We hope that you consider the following message as we are deeply concerned about our country and our people.

We are front line healthcare workers, and some of us have lived through the trials of SARS and can appreciate what is coming. We are not only dedicated to our patients, but to our families, neighbours, communities, and to this great country of ours.

Patients may be without symptoms for days while still being quite contagious. Around the world, people of all ages are falling to this illness by the hundreds every day. Our healthcare capacity, as it stands, is strained and limited. The virus spread will only make matters much, much worse. We do not have enough additional capacity or equipment, such as lifesaving ventilators, to be able to care for COVID-19 patients.  We do not want to have to make choices on which patient gets scarce lifesaving equipment and which patient does not; a choice being made in other strained nations as you read these words. We must flatten the curve today for us to stand a chance of avoiding unnecessary deaths.

Mr. Prime Minister, we are gravely concerned about the outlook and projections that evidence-based data are forecasting. Immediate measures are needed now. Any deferral will only amplify the problem and cause catastrophic outcomes for all patients.

Sir, we are imploring you to heed the lessons of world jurisdictions, and we demand that the country enters into a lockdown status, with the immediate closure of borders entirely to everyone, Americans and others. The rate of spread in the United States leads us to believe that the problem is advancing dangerously. If we do not follow the examples of others that implemented stringent measures, we will fall victim to the fate of others that are mightily suffering.

Furthermore, there is a drastic increase in patients requesting sick notes at emergency departments and clinics for their employers, thus increasing the spread. We need social distancing to be taken even more seriously with a strong emphasis on staying home. This is the only way to stop community spread. The short term financial implications of this will be difficult, but this measure is needed now to help reduce the human pain and suffering that other countries are currently seeing.

Mr. Trudeau – we cannot emphasize the gravity of this crisis enough. We need to take these measures to truly keep Canadians safe. We need your leadership more than ever to make this happen. Please, do what is right. Please, do it now without delay.

We appreciate your efforts during these trying times, 

Nour Khatib MD CM, CCFP(EM), MBA – Emergency Physician – Toronto, Ontario | Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

Jillian Follett CCFP (EM) – Emergency Physician – Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Bridget Reidy MD, CCFP – Family Physician – Saanichton, British Columbia  

Akram Arab MD, FRCPC – Respirologist – Cornwall, Ontario

J. Reed MD, FRCSC – Orthopedic Surgeon – Regina, Saskatchewan

Melissa Gross MD, FRCPC – Pediatrics –  Red Deer, Alberta

Katey Jakins MD, CCFP – Emergency Physician – Oshawa, Ontario

Faisal Sheikh MD, FRCPC – Psychiatrist –  Calgary, Alberta

Alison Power BMBS, CCFP, FCFP – Family Physician – Moncton, New Brunswick

M. Dash MD, CCFP, Dip Sport Med – Sports Medicine Physician & Family Physician – Regina, Saskatchewan

Suleiman Furmli, MD CCFP – Family Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Nicole Sereda, NP – Primary Care Nurse Practitioner –  Thunder Bay ON

Chantel Braun MD, CCFP Family Physician, Winnipeg, MB

Marco Mascarella MD, MSc – ENT Resident – Montreal, Quebec

Katrina DeZeeuw MD, FRCPC PM&R – Physiatrist – Toronto, Ontario

Daniel Sidalak MD, CCFP – Family Physician & Hospitalist – Fellow Toronto, ON

Heather Chambers MD, FRCPC (GIM R5) – Resident Internal Medicine – St. John's, Newfoundland

Sameea Bajwa MD, CCFP – Family Physician & Addiction Medicine – Oakville, Ontario

Baseer U. Khan, MD, FRCS(C), P.CEO – Opthalmologist – Markham, Ontario

Vajid Khan MD, FRCPC – Radiologist –  Bluewater Health, Sarnia/Oakville, Ontario

Kashif Pirzada, MD, CCFP(EM) – Emergency Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Jacqueline MacKay MD, CCFP(EM) – Emergency Physician – Fredericton, New Brunswick

Lisa Ma MD, CCFP – Family Physician – Calgary, Alberta

Farnaz Salari MD, CCFP – Family Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Raji Menon MD, FRCSC – General Surgeon & Palliative Care Physician – Cornwall, Ontario

Holly Hamilton MD CCFP FCFP – Family physician –  Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba

Seema Dosaj MD, CCFP, FCFP – Family Physician – Pickering/Toronto

Tanzila Basrin MD, CCFP – Family Physician & Emergency Physician – Lindsay, ON

Laurie Mazurik FRCPC, MBA, EMDM – Emergency Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Carmen Fong MD, CCFP – Family Physician – Calgary, Alberta

Renata Sava MD CM, CCFP – Family Physician – Montréal, Quebec

Monique Renaud MD, CCFP – Family physician – Goderich, Ontario

Farnaz Salari MD, CCFP – Family Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Adnan Kazi Hameed MD, FRCPC – Cardiologist – St. Catherine’s, Ontario

Dalal Dahrouj MD, FRCPC – Anesthesiologist – Montreal, Quebec

Tehseen Ladha MD, MPH, FRCPC – Pediatrician – Edmonton, Alberta

Jemy Joseph MD, CCFP – Emergency Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Cassy Shitong Wang MD CM, CCFP – Family Physician – Toronto, Ontario

Adnan Kazi Hameed MD, FRCPC – Cardiologist –  St. Catharines, Ontario

Lana Wicentovich MD, CCFP, FCFP – Family Physician – Letbridge Alberta.

Corinne T-Sabatini, MD – Psychiatry Resident Physician – Montreal, Quebec  

Saad Ahmed MD, CCFP – Emergency & Family Physician – Toronto, Ontario

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