TN COVID Doctor Makes Plea to Tennesseans for Help Convincing Governor Lee to Take Responsibility

"Tennessee, you deserve better. Ask Governor Lee to show some leadership. We need your help. Please."

As Tennessee breaks a new record on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, Dr. Jason Martin, who has been treating COVID patients since the beginning of the pandemic, releases a video statement making a direct appeal to Tennesseans to join healthcare workers in growing demand for action from Governor Lee.

NASHVILLE -- Tennessee COVID-19 Doctor, who has been treating patients on the frontlines since the beginning of the pandemic released this video statement today in response to Tennessee breaking a new record in the COVID-19 outbreak over the weekend. 

Dr. Jason Martin said, “What we need from you is to ask Governor Lee to show leadership right now.” and “Tennessee, you deserve better. You deserve someone who can make the tough decisions rather than abdicate the responsibility to municipalities, who can be a leader and so I’m begging you if you’ve emailed the Governor before, do it again. If you’ve called the Governor before, do it again. We need you to let him know that you are watching and that you see the record numbers and that you see the record deaths, and that you demand a response.”

“I want you to know that your healthcare workers could not be prouder to be doing the jobs that they are doing right now. We come to you not complaining about the long hours. Not complaining about the trials and tribulations of the job, and there are many. We come to you lamenting the endless death and destruction that we are seeing every single day. It’s tearing us apart. It is preventable. We need your help. Please. Speak to your elected leaders and let them know that it is time for an aggressive response for this once in a lifetime, hopefully, pandemic.”

Dr. Jason Martin in his video message references the story of another COVID-19 physician and colleague, Dr. Matt King, who shared on social media his experience this weekend seeing the consequences of Tennessee's evaporating hospital capacity because of Governor Lee's refusal to take responsibility:

BACKGROUND