H1N1 - losing the hearts and minds of your healthcare givers

The recent fiasco about the H1N1 patient catching an MRT to the clinic evoked such a flurry of hysteria and paranoia that it was almost comical. The patient was irresponsible. The doctor was irresponsible. Sigh....

Truth of the matter is that with everyday that passes....with even more information that we get about this "pandemic" (that didn't quite become a pandemic), it is becoming more and more common to encounter health care givers who would roll their eyes when the spectre of H1N1 is raised. It is increasingly difficult to maintain this very artificial level of 'alertness' when it is obvious that so few are dying even as the number of infections go up. Healthcare givers are not taking the infection seriously (but should they?). MOH itself doesn't seem to take it too seriously (but should they?). WHO sometimes appears to be almost wishing that more people would die, so that the pandemic can be justified.

It's all very bizarre.

I think the reality of the situation is that the healthcare givers themslelves are less and less convinced of the seriousness of this 'pandemic'. This disconnect between the public proclamations and the sentiments and reality on the ground is something the MOH should be very careful about. You have to worry when you believe you are in a war, but your troops do not actually believe in your cause.