Appreciating our health care workers
The past few months have been ones of much turmoil, sadness, and change for me and my family as we dealt with my elderly mother’s declining health. What I discovered in this difficult time is that we are blessed in Kona with skilled and compassionate health care professionals. Both of the times my mother was in the hospital were times when the COVID cases were not surging as they are now, so we were blessed that the hospital was not overwhelmed as they are now. I was impressed by the care we received throughout the hospital. I am writing to thank the staff — especially the nurses — at Kona Community Hospital for this care.
After a second trip to the hospital in two months, both times marked with excellent care, we needed to bring mom home for her final days. Hospice of Kona helped us through this difficult time. This is such an amazing organization and fully deserves the excellent reputation that they have.
In this time when our health care professionals are probably enduring the most difficult times in their careers, I want the community to know how lucky we are to have them. I beg you to do what you can to ease their burden, which includes taking COVID seriously, and doing everything you can to protect this precious resource. Wear a mask, get the vaccination. Please.
Diane Aoki
Kealakekua
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It is perfectly acceptable
In his Tuesday letter to the editor, Michael Olson compares restrictions against the unvaccinated by some libraries, restaurants, and so on to Jim Crow laws that aimed to enforce racial segregation. What is missed here is the great harm that people who are unvaccinated, for whatever reason, are causing.
From what I understand, across the country ICU beds are filling up with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, denying normal hospital treatment to victims of heart attacks, accidents, etc.
In my view, it is perfectly acceptable to encourage people to become vaccinated by subjecting them to inconveniences such as denying them library or restaurant service. Jim Crow indeed! You can’t yell “fire!” in a crowded theater, and neither should you be able to do, as the unvaccinated are doing, other great public harm.
Mike Keller
Kailua-Kona
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