It sounds ridiculous, but an emergency will be treated like an emergency.
Waiting times are unacceptably long at hospital emergency departments across Canada. During the evening of Tuesday, July 1, a triage nurse at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital Emergency Department said the wait could be up to nine hours. In Québec, the waiting times are even worse, often reaching more than 24 hours at some hospitals. Even for minor reasons, that is unacceptable and even cruel.
Ridiculous and inhumane waiting times aside, if a patient shows up at a hospital emergency department and there is absolute proof they could be in imminent danger because of the symptoms they are having, they will be given immediate attention. Heart attack and stroke symptoms qualify for immediate attention. A patient nearly crawling their way into the hospital due to the intolerable pain from a kidney stone qualifies for immediate attention. And of course, any patient who arrives in an ambulance is automatically assured instant attention. If anyone waiting in the emergency department experiences worsening symptoms and they notify the triage nurse, their situation will be given increased priority.
It is true, there are examples of where people in very serious or even grave condition were waiting in emergency departments and were ignored. People have died because of this, and that is also incredibly wrong and completely unfulfilling of a health care system and medical profession that is supposed to protect human life. And one of the most significant reasons there are so many people with a wide range of illnesses waiting at emergency departments is because there is a shortage of doctors to treat these people. According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, there are about three million Ontario residents who do not have a family doctor. That is 18.5 per cent of the province’s population. In Québec, about 27 per cent of the population does not have a doctor.
The doctorless are going to hospital emergency departments for non-emergency reasons that a normal doctor’s appointment could otherwise address. This is not the patient’s fault. Health authorities need to create separate agencies and facilities for these patients and keep emergency departments for emergencies. Our publicly insured and administrated health care system is an excellent concept, but it is far too bureaucratic and mired in meetings, discussion, studies, and perpetual restructuring without any finite conclusion. The funding and human resources should ensure there are enough professionals; physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other support workers, to look after patients in a way that is timely.
A medical emergency should always be treated like an emergency, but decisive action is needed to make sure everyone is cared for with dignity and respect.
