Dear Editor,
I read with much sympathy a recent post on Facebook from a woman whose mother had a long wait at Hawkesbury General Hospital’s Emergency Room. With little detail given, the situation is difficult to assess. I too have experienced very long waits.
However, I would like to record the excellent service I received at the hospital emergency last Monday, July 12. I went in with a badly swollen left leg. As a blood clot was the potential cause, I was quickly triaged. Luckily, there was no clot.
During the five hours I was there, they did bloodwork, sent me for an x-ray and ultrasound, gave me Tylenol for the pain, drained an astonishing amount of fluid from my knee and gave me a cortisone shot, which has helped greatly.
At all times I was treated with courtesy and concern. I was amazed at the pace the nurses kept up, wondering how they could sustain that energy for a 12-hour shift. I particularly appreciated the time Dr. Ton-Thak took to explain the deterioration in my knee shown by the x-rays, to discuss the cortisone shot and to recommend I see my orthopedics specialist as soon as possible. I left with further prescriptions for pain control.
There has been a lot in the news lately about how many nurses are leaving the profession and after years of cutbacks, limited pay increases, staff shortages and now 16 months of exhausting Covid-19 work. Who can blame them? In Quebec, they are even forced to do overtime.
It is time to take a hard look at the work these women and men do and reconsider the structure and circumstances under which they work. And to be grateful to those who continue to do their jobs well.
I am just very grateful that the professional team that looked after me last Monday came to work that day did their best. Thank you!
Bonnie Laing
Vankleek Hill
