Solutions

Emergency rooms are on trial, seems everyone is a judge. The stories are quite shocking. Let’s look at ourselves for a moment, I mean everyone has something to say about the injustice and non debatable loss of life! What is your role in this? First, what is an emergency? ABC, airway, breathing, circulation…. in that order. If the airway is affected, if breathing is impaired and severe bleeding that needs immediate attention. These are emergencies! If you have a severed limb, been impaled, smacked your head and now can not stand or see, if you need to be sewn up, need a cast or have severe pain that keeps you from being upright…probably an emergency.

I also know, seeing a doctor, especially your own is now a two week process. After hour clinics are always busy, takes more than seventy redials to get through. The newest solution is the evisit, some know it as Maple. More recently the turn over with doctors retiring and taking off from the maritimes go to the big cities is a real issue! I have a family member with strep throat wait more than three days to be treated, it isn’t fun! Definitely not a trip to the emergency room. Getting meds, cold, flu, not a trip to the emergency room. Babies with fevers, diarrhea, puking, unless they are dehydrated, cough that affects breathing or a fast spreading rash… stay home. If you are in doubt, call tele care, they will advise you if you should go or not. You don’t want to help cripple the system. Can’t remember the last time I was to emergency for myself, may have been an X-ray pre Covid. Can’t get those at the doctor’s office.

During Momma days, I spent a lot of time there! My youngest had croup every winter and ended up there overnight until I learned to treat at home with a cold mist and puffers on hand when the temperature changed. Same child broke a bone a year, had pancreatitis, uveitis, keto acidosis more than once, Bell’s palsy and a car accident, should have had his own room there for all those stays. Believe me, I question no one, but myself. We have to be pretty untreatable to go sit in emerge. I don’t want to burden the system, and I sure want a functioning system if I need them! I can’t imagine showing up for something you know is beyond your control and are unable to be assisted. We have had some serious situations arise within our family and would hate to have delays. I wish I had the answer to fix this. So many of our systems are stretched thin, we are wearing down, surely something can be done.