Miss Georgina lifted her right leg to hitch herself onto her broom, and felt that stab of pain in her hip.“Ouch,” she said “I’ll have to visit old Dr. H. And see where I am on the waiting list for that hip replacement,” And so she booked an appointment. Dr. H. Wasn’t at all optimistic about her having that operation any time soon. “With the Covid numbers in hospital so much elective surgery is being cancelled, Miss Georgina, I’m afraid your operation is unlikely any time soon.”
Totally disgruntled, Miss Georgina put “ cancelled surgical procedures “ on the agenda for the next coven meeting. As Miss Beatrice needed a cataract operation and Miss Julika wanted her bunion seen to, there was a good turn out for the meeting.
Straight off, Miss Beatrice declared her interest in the topic but said “ I really don’t see what we can do Georgina, after all if the beds are full with Covid patients, elective surgery just can’t happen, can it?” “Yes,” chipped in Julika “and as for the ICU’s, full to capacity, this is no time to get seriously ill I reckon.”
“And that brings me to my point, ladies, in the midst of all out troubles we are forgetting the people who are most discriminated against in this whole pandemic,” said Georgina, there were nods of agreement all around the table, each one thinking she was one of the discriminated, “I mean , the poor unvaccinated, of course!” Georgina continued. Seeing the looks of confusion all around her, she went on, “yes, I know vaccination is free, centres are set up in every town and village, G.P.’s are texting their patients offering the vaccine, The H.S.E are on the television nightly begging people to get vaccinated but still some won’t come forward and most people in the I.C.U.’s are unvaccinated.”
“Where are you going with this, Georgina?” Asked Beatrice.
“Isn’t it obvious, the poor things refuse vaccination because thy don’t know what’s in the vaccine and yet here they are, admitted to I.C.U’s being pumped full of drugs they know nothing about, its a scandal, is what it is, something should be done about it,” said Georgina, her cheeks flushed with indignation.
“So you think they shouldn’t be admitted to I.C.U’s at all then?” said Beatrice slowly.
“The most useful place where people should have to display their Covid vaccination certificates is at the door of the I.C.U,” continued Georgina, “the unvaccinated should be referred to a special ward with just oxygen masks and not be troubled with Intensive Care, and if that frees up some hospital beds for elective surgery, well, that is just the way it is.”
Miss Julika was so enamoured with this idea that she volunteered to write to Paul Reid, the H.S.E. CEO, without delay to appraise him of their findings and request that he put this plan into operation.
Alas, six months later and all three ladies are still awaiting appointments for surgery.