Paramedics in Renfrew County are testing residents at home, transporting sick patients, identifying potential COVID-19 cases in our community, but were not included in the frontline pay support recently announced by the province.
Chief Paramedic and Director of Emergency Services for the County of Renfrew, Michael Nolan, says they’re asking the Premier and Minister of Health to revisit this issue and give these frontline workers the support and acknowledgment they deserve.
Nolan says he was surprised and disappointed that paramedics were not included in the $4 pay increase for frontline workers. He adds they have an exceptional group of paramedics in Renfrew County who know where they are needed and will continue swabbing 7-days a week. Nolan says they have set up a special team to support high risk transfers and separate that from the rest of the 911 fleet.
The Chief Paramedic for the County of Renfrew hopes the community is as proud as he is of the work paramedics are doing during this health crisis.
At a time when I have never been more impressed by Doug @fordnation's leadership & communication & the unprecedented clinical effort by #Paramedics across #Ontario tackling #COVID19 head-on, the lack of acknowledgment by @celliottability & the Ministry of Health is heartbreaking. https://t.co/bn2hlcQRIE
— ChiefMNolan (@ChiefMNolan) April 26, 2020