Gay Clark wonders why things didn't happen differently.
"I ran all what-if," she said.
She and her husband, Mark Clark, lived in Kentville, Nova Scotia until his death in February at the age of 66. Gay said the
Mark died the day before he was to undergo heart surgery, which had already been delayed due to a lack of available ICU beds.
She said she was afraid to get COVID-19 if Mark was hospitalized.
"COVID was probably better than what happened," Gay said.
She said the whole process was tough. Mark first went to the doctor for chest pain in July 2021.
Gay said that months had passed without a response from the doctor. Her husband called again in November as her pain worsened.
Gay has to wait until January for another test that reveals that she has two obstructions and needs urgent surgery. She said it didn't happen.
She said she hadn't been contacted by her doctor for another two weeks and was scheduled for surgery for another month. The
mark wasn't too long. He had a fatal heart attack at his home.
"I'm angry with the system," Gay said. "This shouldn't have happened."
Surgeons are "morally distressed"
Dr. Gregory Hirsch, Senior Medical Director of Nova Scotia Health's Surgical Services Network, said He said he anticipates the burden of a pandemic. The healthcare system can have tragic consequences.
Hirsch said The biggest challenge to performing surgery on time is the lack of hospital beds and the separation of support staff such as nurses into the COVID-19 unit. Said to be.
A common reason they are unable to complete a case is that there is no ICU bed available for the patient to recover, and specializes in surgery on critical chest organs. Hirsch said.
"We are doing everything humans can do," he said.
"But if you don't have a bed and you don't have [Healthcare] personnel, you'll be checkedmate."
According to health officials, people are currently scheduled for heart surgery in Nova Scotia. This is an increase of 33%, up from 82 in February 2020, before the pandemic.
Hirsch states , putting more pressure on systems that did not have enough capacity before COVID.
He said the doctor was still worried about the patient waiting for treatment at his home.
"We worked so hard to do this dance with triage that we knew there would be no death or adverse effects, but we knew it would." He said.
"It is no exaggeration to say that we are suffering morally. It creates great anxiety about not being able to provide the timely care we need."
'Community synonyms'
Mark Clark was a prominent member of his community.
When he died, he was president of the Kentville Lions Club. He held a "jam session" at a local event and performed for residents of long-term care facilities throughout the Annapolis Valley. He was active as an organizer of local politics.
"Mark was loved by everyone," Gay said. In the weeks following his death, so many people called and eventually unplugged the phone.
"He was the most understanding, compassionate, affectionate and genuine person I have ever met, and I think people have seen it."
Cody Blois stood at the House of Commons and told fellow lawmakers about his deceased friend Mark Clark.
Kingshunts MP Cody Blower stood at the House of Commons in Ottawa the day after Mark died, celebrating what he called a friend.
"He was well known, liked and respected," Blois told Congress.
Blower told his colleague that the first meeting he had to discuss his candidacy for federal politics was at Clark 's house.
"There aren't many people in the Kenbutil-Newminus area who didn't know the name Mark Clark," said Blower . "He was synonymous with the community."
Broken system
Gay Clark, who now lives in New Minas, takes things every day . She said one day, or months, would be more difficult than others.
"May was a tough month," she said. "It was my birthday, wedding anniversary, Mother's Day, the first day of the camp — and we were a big camper."
She Mark focused on the negative. He said he didn't want to, but sometimes he can't help himself.
Novascosia's health system broke, Gay said, and she fixed it. I don't have the belief that I'm going to.
"I don't know what the answer is, and I don't think anyone will."
