Amy Bertram receives a vaccine from Lisa Sauder in Melfort. (submitted photo/Amy Bertram)

By Angie Rolheiser

COVID-19

Melfort health-care workers to get second dose of vaccinations on Friday

Feb 11, 2021 | 10:44 AM

Health-care workers in Melfort will soon be getting their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The first doses were administered to doctors at Parkland Place on a Thursday in January and staff at the hospital were to be vaccinated on the following Friday. Second doses will be coming on Feb. 12.

Registered nurse at the Melfort and District Hospital, Ramona Assie, was fortunate enough to get the last of those first doses available.

“I had been waiting for so long and it was very emotional. I can’t even talk about without tearing up,” Assie said. “It was like a gift, more precious than gold. It just went so fast and I couldn’t believe it.”

To Assie’s knowledge, the residents and staff at Parkland Place have been vaccinated as well as the health-care workers at the hospital.

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“I just wish everyone could get it. I wish my family, store clerks, waitresses, and just everyone so they can visit their parents in the nursing homes,” Assie said. “I feel so much for the elderly patients who have a hard time hearing plus the masks making it harder to hear. They can’t have family visiting either so I just really hope everyone can get it as quickly as possible.”

Assie has spent decades in health care at the Melfort hospital and this has definitely been the most extreme year of work that she has experienced.

“I do feel fortunate to be part of the group of nurses that are going to be giving the vaccines to our co-workers on Friday because it means we are one step closer to getting this virus under control,” Assie said. “I know we aren’t there yet but we are getting closer.”

As for side effects after getting the vaccine, Assie said she just had a sore arm but she welcomed the pain because it was a constant reminder of having been immunized.

Co-workers of Assie reported having swollen lymph glands in their armpits, slight fever, headaches, and achiness, but no one she spoke to had any effects lasting longer than two days.

At this point of the vaccination roll-out, Assie reiterated the message of hope that a co-worker at the hospital wanted to spread across the region and the province.

Laura Alexander, who is also a nurse at the hospital used Christmas lights to spell out the word ‘Hope‘ on a balcony of the Melfort hospital.

“It just brightens things up. A human always needs hope and some days it was hard to have hope but it encouraged us,” Assie said. “Each day driving in the parking lot and seeing those lights, it did give us hope.”

Assie encourages everyone to get their vaccines when they become available.

“We need everyone vaccinated so we can go visit our parents in the nursing homes, patients can have their visitors and we can see our grandkids and do all of those important things,” Assie said.

Phase two of the vaccination plan was unveiled on Monday and will involve the immunization of the general public beginning with those aged 60 to 69.

Phase two is projected to start in June.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser