True story:
Having experienced a severe flare up in pain from a completely different location, I made the mistake of phoning Healthdirect…
My reasoning was that, as I had not being doing anything overly strenuous and the pain was not coming from the normal damage areas, I should check it out as it was pretty intense. (I was strongly encouraged by others at this end as last time I left it I had a ruptured appendix…
After rounds of questions, the operator insisted I should get to the Emergency Department. She asked for permission to send an ambulance… “No – it’s ok I’ll see if I can get someone to drop me to the hospital, if not I will ring back”.
I thought this would be the end of the encounter, but a few minutes later I received a text message:
“you need to get to the Emergency Department immediately”
Convinced it was not serious I ignored it for a while, however the pain was intense, I relented.
Over 3 hours later, it arrives and I tell the medic I think it is only a pulled muscle, I should be ok – but they say no it’s something else you should have not waited the 72 hours in this type of pain.
We set off. I think we arrived at Joondalup hospital around 5pm.
I am told to lie on the stretcher but the pain is too bad for me to be able to lie down. I opt to stand awaiting inspection. The pain is incredible, I’m too sore to move, too sore to stay still. There are close to 200 people in the waiting room – some vomiting, some moaning, some shouting.
Later I look up the waiting time: 93 minutes, yet now I have already been here 2 hours.
The other hospitals in WA all showing the same type of waiting times.
I hear another man, who had kidney issues (what they suspect my issue is) who had been told to come in urgently. He had been there over an hour and a half and talking with people who had been waiting for SEVEN hours.
He informed the nurse “I am going home”.
This man, with serious health issues, had been told, if your kidneys get worse, come back urgently as it could be dangerous. Here he is and they haven’t seen him. They issue the same rote response: ‘if things get worse, come back’.
I go and tell them ‘I am about to collapse, I can not handle the pain any more, can I lay in that stretcher now?’.
“sorry there are no beds or stretchers available”
A nurse comes to check on me asking me if I need pain relief. In our conversation she says ‘look there is still at least 12 people ahead of you – it is going to be a long night…’
I opt to come home & arrange a lift. Getting home after 9pm, my nervous system is shot – twitching and trembling, but at least I am home.
That waiting room, full to the brim of so many hurting & sick people – so crazy. Sure, many treat ED as an after hours GP, but most of the injuries & sicknesses are far from ‘light’ or insignificant. Yet *so many* are not getting seen to.
Just another example of our declining services – clogged up, under performing,
BUT SURELY – years of a ‘lower-class prioritising socialist government’ should have *great* outcomes for all?
Socialism. It. Does. NOT. Work!
Who would have thought: importing thousands of people a day, teaching students that they are entitled, creating a society where everyone wants to take hand outs…leads *worse* outcomes for all?!
Simple answer: those who have studied history!