Inspirational messages left outside Victoria, Nanaimo hospitals days after protests

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Healthcare workers arriving for their shifts at Victoria General Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Friday were greeted with a series of inspirational messages — a welcomed sight after protests took centre stage earlier this week.

Healthcare workers arriving for their shifts at Victoria General Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Friday were greeted with a series of inspirational messages after protests took centre stage earlier this week.

The messages were found by healthcare workers just a few days after thousands rallied across British Columbia at various hospitals, protesting the latest vaccine mandates and COVID-19 protocols.

On Vancouver Island, large crowds gathered outside the legislature and Nanaimo General Hospital with signs and bullhorns, while cars circled the block, honking in support.

Reports later emerged that several healthcare workers had become the targets of harassment and assault amid the COVID-19 protests.

“Trying to walk into the hospital, there’s a sea of people around. No one has a mask on. It didn’t even feel like a safe thing to get through,” Marcia Kent, a nurse at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH), told CHEK News earlier this week.

Kent wasn’t on duty at the time but instead was a patient at NRGH on Wednesday. She describes seeing families trying to have last conversations with dying loved ones as heartbreaking.

“Seeing the people in the palliative care unit, on the garden tops there, trying to just sit with their loved ones in peace but the megaphones going off with people shouting…it broke my heart,” said Kent.

READ MORE: ‘Don’t hurt the helpers’: Healthcare workers react to reports of assault, verbal harassment at protests

At the same hospital, police received a report that one anti-vaccine passport protester even spit at a nurse on her way to work.

Just a few days removed from the protests, however, the tune outside of Vancouver Island hospitals has changed and messages of inspiration have spurred a positive feeling among healthcare workers.

The messages found on Friday — some written in chalk and some posted on signs — said things like “we are in awe of your persistence,” “thank you for being so brave” and “you’re the best!”

One healthcare worker at Victoria General Hospital told CHEK News that the messages “touched the hearts of many of the staff.”

In addition to the positive messages, flowers were found outside of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital as well.

While some have gone to the effort to leave messages out front to the hospital, a new initiative is also allowing for the community to send to healthcare workers online.

The Victoria Hospital Foundation is inviting the community to spread thanks to hospital teams by sharing words of kindness to a hospital team that has made an impact through the new Hospital Heroes initiative.

Along with sending messages of hope, the Vancouver Island community is also able to nominate an Island Health staff member or team with a Caring Spirit Award and donate in their honour.

More information regarding the online initiative can be found here.

 

Graham CoxGraham Cox
April LawrenceApril Lawrence

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