By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Giving the quarterly report for Ontario Public Health Standards requirements for programs, services and accountability in 2020 at the April Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit meeting, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking reported some shortfalls and some shining moments.
“In the area we indicate we did not meet the requirements are mostly programs completely off-line as a direct result of COVID-19,” she said, citing such areas as policy development and school-based programming (including immunizations and oral and vision screening).
“These programs were partially met or scaled down significantly – again as a direct result of COVID-19. No program areas that had not met requirements resulted from any other reasons than COVID-19,” Dr. Bocking said.
And it’s important to remember the significant achievements, such as those related to health protection.
“Environmental-health inspections continue, especially for those food premises that remain open – the last thing we want is a food-borne outbreak on top of our demands for COVID.”
There were 773 routine inspections completed, she said, and 92 health-hazard complaints addressed.
“We responded to reports of diseases of public-health significance,” she added, listing chlamydia, gonorrhea, and Hepatitis B and C.
As well, the health unit responded to 118 animal-exposure incidents.
And certain clinical services are continuing.
“We have continued to ensure children who do not have family doctors or other primary-care providers do receive their immunizations,” Dr. Bocking said.
“Some clients served through sexual-health clinics continued to receive birth-control prescriptions and advice. And harm-reduction clients have access to safe supplies that avoid further issues with illness and infectious diseases.”
