I work at VGH and routinely see the impacts of climate change on our patients. For example, one woman was so traumatized by seeing all the body bags during the heat dome that she almost refused life-saving surgery years later. Another was very anxious to be anesthetized because of wildfires in her home community and being unsure whether her home would be standing when she woke up. An elderly man had to come to VGH all the way from Yellowknife for routine surgery because of wildfire evacuations. These are just three snapshots of many, many patient stories. I hope other healthcare providers will share their experiences on this site.
