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I
broke a pane of glass in my forearms this week after
trying to pull what my friends have jokingly dubbed
an inexcusable "kung fu stunt". After severely
mutilating myself I was rushed to the hospital
requiring medical attention.
I
have been very lucky I suppose, throughout my entire
life, because this was the first emergency room
visit that I could recall. I was taken to one of the
large private hospitals in town as it was just a
hop, skip and a jump away from where I was when the
accident happened, so I assumed that I would be
getting the best available care that money could
buy.
They put me in one of the emergency rooms where I
had a wonderful little nurse attend me when a guy
walked in wearing a doctor's robe with a stethoscope
in the pocket, whom of course I began calling doctor
immediately and asking about the severity of my
wounds, as I could not feel any pain. The guy was
nice enough and talked me through most of the things
that would be done, while the blonde bobbed little
nurse went about with a smile on her face cleaning
and prepping like it was a bed of flowers.
The guy took the lead, instructing the nurse, and
while he was finishing up with the stitches, I asked
where he went to medical school. This is when he
decided to inform me that he was a nurse and not a
doctor.
I
was wondering whether I should have asked or if the
15 times that I had uttered the word doctor could
have been a hint to perhaps drop that information in
somewhere, but maybe that was my fault. I was pretty
confident in what the guy was doing; I am very
inquisitive and paid ample attention throughout the
entire process, but I I would have liked to have
known.
They gave me a tetanus shot, charged me a ridiculous
amount of money and sent me on home. Nothing else,
no painkillers, antibiotics or iron, nothing more
than "come back tomorrow and get your bandages
changed". Hating the day that I unfortunately had
the opportunity to require the services of the
medical industry in our nation, I went to a pharmacy
that I knew would be open late.
Here I received wonderful care from a little
pharmacist who took the time to explain what I would
need, the medicines I should be taking and how I
should be treating my arms. I went home thinking it
was wonderful to find at least two efficient little
people in one day.
Going back to the same hospital the next day, I
could not find the little blond bobbed nurse that I
had taken a liking to. Instead, the nurse on duty,
who happened to be infected with a severe cold, took
me inside and proceeded to change my bandages.
I have never been through a more unpleasant medical
experience in my life. To add insult to injury, they
asked me to pay yet again for getting my bandages
changed. That is well and good, I happen to be one
of those people that may be able to afford a
hospital visit for a not so serious injury every
once in a while, but what this got me to thinking
was how in the world the rest of the country was
scraping by on their medical expenses.
I
am sure that any of you that have been to one of the
private hospitals in town would have noticed the
amount of waiting time that there is in order to get
inside the door of whatever specialist that
establishment is offering one or two days a week. On
top of that, going to these places to see these
doctors is so expensive and so outlandish in its
requirements that it automatically deletes a
majority of the people that reside in the city or
outside of it. Funnily enough, these very same
specialists that we go to see in places that are
money-making machines are employed full-time at one
government hospital or another.
Of course, there is an even bigger hurdle trying to
get their services at these other public and much
cheaper institutions because there is a waiting list
that could encompass all the hospitals in a chain.
What sort of medical services are the people in our
country receiving? Should they rely on young nursing
graduates that are forced to work away from their
families in places that are short on medical
supplies and experienced personnel, or on young
doctors that are of the same breed? Or should a
diabetic have to wait for four potentially fatal
months to see a doctor because of the bureaucracy
and caste system prevalent in the medical
profession?
I
can say from personal experience gained over the
last handicapped week that an unhealthy citizen is
not the best labourer to build a strong and
competent nation. With all the money that is being
provided in medical aid to this country through
various channels, there should be more efficiency.
Simply building health centres and not having the
materials and human resources to fill them to their
fullest potential is a risk that could lead to a
sick and ultimately annoyed nation. And we all know
what an annoyed public is capable of.
So until next week, I wish you all good health.
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