A senior Alberta doctor who wrote a controversial open letter to Alberta Premier Jason Kenneyblasting him for putting the province in another COVID-19 lockdown says he’s received support from fellow physicians – but that they can’t risk going public with their views..Dr. Dennis Modry, BSc, MD, MSc, FRCS, FACCP, FACS is one of Alberta’s top heart surgeons – who performed the province’s first heart transplant in 1985 – and gained world-wide attention last week after the Western Standard published his open letter to Kenney – a man whom he considers a long-time friend..The letter went viral and has now been read hundreds of thousands of times around the world..“I didn’t do it for the notoriety and I didn’t know how world-wide it would go,” Modry told the Western Standard in an interview Thursday..“I’ve had lots of doctors say they support what I said but they can’t afford the risk to say that publicly.”.Modry said notes of support have come in from doctors around the world including groups in the Netherlands..Earlier this month – amid spiralling death and infection rates – Kenney put the province into a second lockdown – this time for a month which effectively cancelled Christmas. Governments across Canada, and around the world have enacted similar measures..Modry claims the UCP government controls the message that is coming out of Alberta hospitals and he disputes what Kenney has said when he claims ICU’s are close to being overrun..Modry said he has thoroughly researched the most recent medical studies from around the world that show lockdowns don’t work, and that any lockdown must come at the very beginning when the virus has only been detected in one or two areas..The retired surgeon said he agrees with the Great Barrington Declaration – now signed by more than 50,000 medical experts around the world – that calls on governments to get society back to normal and then take steps to protect vulnerable groups like the elderly..“One thing that struck me was all the recent evidence that lockdowns do more harm than good,” Modry cited as one of the reason’s for penning the letter to Kenney.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .“[Lockdowns] create economic carnage. It’s an absolute tragedy.”.Modry said he’s worried Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw hasn’t “reviewed the latest literature..“The government controls the hospitals and they have to toe the party line. Administration is responsible to the government and controls what doctors say,” said Modry..“Physicians are frightened to speak. I hope the letter gets Dr. Hinshaw’s attention.”.Modry says has known Kenney since he was with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in the early-to-mid 1990s..“I hope Jason gets back to me. I would love to talk to him. But I don’t expect to hear from Jason,” said Modry..“I just hope the letter gave him pause to rethink some of his decisions and get families back together for Christmas.”.You can read Modry’s letter to Kenney HERE..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
