To say that these last three weeks have been a whirlwind would be an understatement. There have been changes and updates daily and even hourly from international, national, and local resources. There have also been the flood of emails from everyone you’ve ever given your email address to about what they are doing at this time for your protection and the protection of their employees. It was much.
It was an interesting time also for the me as your Executive Director trying to navigate and assist SAVT members, SAVT Board of Directors, the SVMA, and other provincial associations. I closed the SAVT office and moved it into the apartment that I share with my partner and Congo African Grey parrot. Our apartment is about 400 square feet and we now have an African grey, the SAVT office, my student work, my partner’s co-op position, and my partner’s school all running out of the apartment. We had to buy TV tables as all of our other spaces now have computers on them.
My school is a masters degree in disaster and emergency management which is where this all gets interesting. I’ve been viewing this entire pandemic from the lens of an executive director of your association and a disaster manager and I want to share with you a thought.
One of the greatest frustrations I’ve heard from RVTs and DVMs since I started in this position is that people don’t listen to the nutrition recommendations they are given, use Dr. Google to make their own diagnosis, and don’t listen to their post-op instructions and care when you are the professionals. You are only doing and sharing your wisdom about what is best for your patient. Well – Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, is the professional here and listening to her makes sense and is crucial. Whether it’s isolation, physical distancing, or when and where to seek medical assistance it’s important to listen to the professionals and respect their wisdom and knowledge.
As you are navigating this please let me know if there is anything I or the SAVT can do to assist and we will do our very best to give you that assistance or direct you to someone who can.
From the desk of the SAVT Executive Director, Jasmin Carlton (and by desk I mean the card table I borrowed from my aunt to make into a desk during this period of self isolation)
Registered Veterinary Technologists 