A woman from the metro region is asking some serious questions about access to medical care for those who are medically exempt from wearing a mask in public.

The woman — who asked that her name not be used — told VOCM News that her husband is a veteran who is medically exempt from wearing a mask.

She has documentation for her husband, written on Eastern Health letterhead, to present if necessary.

However, when she brought her husband in to get his vaccine, the security guard did not know what to do with the information and says there was no procedure in dealing with someone in that situation. She overheard the head nurse say “well he’s not getting in here without a mask” and sent him outside.

The woman says the way the message was communicated was inappropriate and triggered a response from her husband who is not really capable of dealing with confrontation as he was already anxious and had a heightened sense of anxiety given his previous encounters in health settings.

She says she has been an advocate for her husband throughout the pandemic and the situation left her husband shaking, crying, angry, and experienced every possible emotion.

In the end, the man was accommodated and given his vaccine. However, the woman believes there is a breakdown in communication somewhere at Eastern Health and thinks protocols for such situations should be established and followed, and that all accommodation options should be advertised online.

She says as a result, her husband has vowed that he would “rather die than seek healthcare in this province.”