More than 130 Douglas County medical professionals have signed an open letter calling on residents to wear masks indoors, get vaccinated and steer clear of unproven treatments for COVID-19.
Douglas County physicians, nurses and other medical professionals are stressed. The letter is a public health message from those on the front lines. It acknowledges “the unique and devastating nature of COVID-19.”
File photo of Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg
Mercy Medical Center
Dr. Michael Krnacik, who has been practicing medicine in Roseburg for 20 years, described how he and his colleagues feel.
“Well stressed. I mean, we’re dealing with a lot of sick people. Our hospital has been filled with COVID patients for the last couple of months. And we’ve seen a lot of people die and a lot of us feel that some have been needless.”
In the letter, physicians express frustration that their advice during the pandemic has been ignored or contradicted. It says this has led to Douglas County “becoming one of the sickest in the nation.”
The entire letter and signatures from medical professionals are in solidarity with the Douglas County Independent Practitioners Association