On March 11, GSL Associate Director Patrick Fafard was quoted in a Yahoo! News article discussing the Canadian public’s trust in its chief medical officers of health (CMOHs) one year into the pandemic.
In the article, Fafard explained that the public fundamentally misunderstands the role of CMOHs. Whereas their position is merely in an advisory capacity, many people believe them to be decision-makers. That false perception falls in part on top elected officials, who use phrases like “I’m following the science” or noting that they’re simply listening to their top medical advisor to fuel their decision-making.
“You want the buck to stop with the politicians,” said Fafard. “We don’t want to be in a world in which an unelected official calls the shots.”
Later in the article, he also discussed the specific cases of Alberta and Quebec and strained relationships between politicians and CMOHs. For the full article, click here.
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