Anyone is welcome to submit a Guest Blog Entry to torontomike.com. I received the following submission earlier today.
Our Health Care system is brutal. My mother spent 6hrs in Emerg. yesterday before she was even SEEN by a doctor. Waiting impatiently in the HALLWAY as she was one of 10 stretchers of patients were waiting to be diagnosed before they were even admitted to EMERG. My mother is a very sick person (stroke, cancer & now kidney failure) & the reply I got most of yesterday was - the Doc. will see her shortly. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I called this AM & was put on hold for more than 10 minutes before the response I got was "We were in a meeting of all EMERG. patients". This afternoon I was told my mother would be eventually admitted - but there were 30 people ahead of her. She will possibly spend the next week in EMERG. waiting for a room or she will be sent back to her nursing home. I spoke openly with a few paramedics in the hallway with their patients & they love this life - bring a patient in & wait all shift in hallways (no other calls) & go home with the responsibilty of 1 patient all day. WHAT A JOKE!! Either pay for these paramedics to do virtually nothing or pay for more doctor's & nurse's to staff EMERG. Dept's in hospitals.
Something has to be done & NOW. Health care has to be FIXED NOW - it's not the nurse's & Doc's fault. There were 2 Doc's, 2 nurse's & 2 interns looking after 20 patients + 10 in the hallway while I was there (4 1/2 hrs) & some patients were quite severe (heart & accident). I feel sorry for these Doc's, nurses & interns who spend 10-12 hrs a day trying to make our lives better but our Gov't doesn't give a *$#@. Wait till one of their loved ones needs medical care - they will probably be 1st in & 1 out. There has to be a medium of misuse of EMERG. dept's & the need for REAL Medicare.
Twins from Bolton
No doubt, the system must be enhanced. I've heard enough horror stories to know this is true. I don't have an easy answer but I do recommend starting with an email to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Remind George we deserve better.
