UPDATE:
Mackenzie Health has received the below statement from Dr. Thomson. We are sharing Dr. Thomson’s statement with his permission, along with our response.
Statement from Dr. Thomson:
After innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza were killed, I posted to social media in an effort to correct what I believed was misinformation and to oppose language that was dehumanizing to Palestinians. That post was then retweeted and subsequently threats of violence were made against me and my colleagues at Mackenzie Health. I did not intend for these consequences when I posted on social media. I acknowledge the harm that was caused. These threats against me and Mackenzie Health are unacceptable. Patients, staff, physicians, and others need to feel safe when attending Mackenzie Health. I recognize that the circumstances were unprecedented and I acknowledge Mackenzie Health’s position that it acted with urgency in order to keep everyone, including myself, at Mackenzie Health safe.
As a physician and humanitarian, I deplore all loss of life, including that of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. I deplore all forms of discrimination. I have always and continue to oppose all forms of racism including antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism. I am committed to providing the best care to all my patients regardless of race, creed or religion. I have and will continue to provide care that upholds this commitment.
I join with others who call for peace and safety for all. I am committed to working with Mackenzie Health to safely resume my work as a doctor and to caring for all of my patients at Mackenzie Health.
Statement from Mackenzie Health
Please see our response to the above statement from Dr. Thomson:
The safety of all our staff, physicians, volunteers and patients is paramount.
Ensuring that Mackenzie Health is a safe, inclusive place to both give and receive care is and always will be our top priority. We understand that Dr. Thomson shares this priority.
Mackenzie Health took an unprecedented, temporary measure involving Dr. Thomson to allow us to fully assess and address the real safety and security threats made against him and our hospital. All of our actions followed our established internal processes and Professional Staff By-laws, which govern our hospital.
We will be working with Dr. Thomson on his plan to return to work once it is deemed safe to do so. We are working in co-ordination with York Regional Police and independent third-party security experts to ensure Dr. Thomson’s safety while at the hospital and the safety of all our staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and everyone who comes through our doors.
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October 20, 2023:
The safety of all our staff, physicians, volunteers and patients is paramount.
Last week, as a result of a threat received by our organization as well as media reports of global threats online, we immediately implemented the processes we have in place to address and respond, working in co-ordination with York Regional Police. A number of additional security measures have been put in place as a precaution and we continue to monitor and manage the situation.
Our duty to provide a safe place to both give and receive care – for everyone who comes through our doors – has driven and will continue to drive our decisions and actions.
We know that global events have created a very challenging time for our community. Our hearts are with everyone impacted by the war in Israel and Gaza that has killed and wounded thousands of innocent people.
This difficult time reminds us how important it is that as a health care organization we uphold our responsibility to provide excellent care in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment.
Our hospitals are for everyone, and everyone who comes through our doors needs to be treated with the respect, care and compassion we all deserve.
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October 18, 2023:
Update: In some cases, the online debate taking place on our channels surrounding this issue has turned abusive, personal and offensive. As a result, we have shut off comments on our social media posts at this time. Mackenzie Health’s necessary focus continues to be on the safety of our people and ensuring the delivery of safe, quality patient care.
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October 13, 2023 statement:
Mackenzie Health has been made aware of and is addressing social media posts from a few physicians and staff that do not reflect our views or values as an organization. These individuals do not speak on our behalf and their views are in no way representative of the thousands of dedicated health care workers and volunteers at Mackenzie Health who serve our community.
Mackenzie Health unequivocally condemns hate, violence, human rights violations and terrorism in any form. The news of the sudden and deadly attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists shook us all. It continues to weigh heavy on us as thousands of innocent people have been killed and wounded in Israel and Gaza. Our hospitals are for everyone, and everyone who comes through our doors needs to be treated with the respect, care and compassion we all deserve. Our priority is always to ensure Mackenzie Health is a safe place to both give and receive care.