This Ontario resident missed Treasurer Charles Sousa’s budget yesterday. Not that we shunned his budget. The day involved 12 hours at the local hospital. Given a choice we would have preferred to be strapped down and forced to listen to Charles’ budget.
Do not get all excited out there: it was the wife who needed the special attention. What started out as routine imaging tests—hoping to find the source of the problems—turned into a frantic rush back to the hospital to hurry up and wait. And we found out the difference between ‘acute’ and ‘trauma.’ The trauma patient gets looked after to prevent more bleeding. The acute patient can wait until you get around to them.
We spent about eight hours in total with a group of people in the Acute Waiting Room. We are not going to form a club. There were six patients and their assorted caregivers. Some were funny and some were sad. It got a bit rowdy at times. Most words were spoken with care. Some comments were regretted.
Charles, you would have been most interested in the political comments. And you think this blog is hard on you? Hah! These people lacked political knowledge and expectations. They frankly despised all politicians and their friends, the bureaucrats. Your O.P. Police guards would have had to search everybody for sharp instruments before allowing you to join us. We were cast adrift on this sea of budgets and bureaucracy. We gradually caused enough ruckus to be rescued by some very warm hearted staff who realized we were becoming rebellious.
Over the time we were together we broke many stupid rules. The rules of no food and drink were nixed at about hour five. We had a picnic dinner. If you can find out when to switch from the blue line on the corridors to the red line, you can actually find the food court in the bowels of that building. The place is like Toronto’s underground PATH easing pedestrians around downtown. It is just not as well planned. In Barrie’s Royal Victoria Hospital, it is a very friendly staff that turns you around and sends you on the right route.
All we can really tell you Charles is that your name came up a few times. It was more as an expletive than laudatory. What we can now confirm is that we need more fine staff such as we have at RVH and far fewer bureaucrats making rules. All your government has done with this regional health centred philosophy is double the bureaucracy and make it more difficult for the medical people to do their jobs.
Despite all the experts who tell you health care is science centred, the truth is it has to be people centred. That is the only way it works.
And the wife is a bit better now. No thanks to our politicians.
-30-
Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]