The Canadian health system is broken..
- Thread starter foodie69
- Start date
My wife's mom was in ER back in March. Waited about 8 hours, thirsty and tired. Went home after seen a doctor.
We had to wait for almost 24 hours in ER for a specialist to confirm if my mom's condition was typical or a more serious one.
But she got nurses and a general ER dr to check and had blood tests done. It was annoying but well, she wasn't in a life or death situation.
She did get checked by the specialist and got prescription and went home.
We did get very fast "treatment" right before my dad's passing. He was treated with dignity and was made as comfortable/least pain as the doctor could. We are grateful.
But she got nurses and a general ER dr to check and had blood tests done. It was annoying but well, she wasn't in a life or death situation.
She did get checked by the specialist and got prescription and went home.
We did get very fast "treatment" right before my dad's passing. He was treated with dignity and was made as comfortable/least pain as the doctor could. We are grateful.
Does your community have something called Urgent care clinic? I used that earlier this year when I was very sick. The wait there was much shorter and people there were all in a non-life threatening situration so all cases likely have similar piority. They had in house lab to do blood and urine tests. I was sent for X ray in a near by lab.
Healthcare is managed by province. What is logic behind not thanking Ford and instead thanking T & J? Is it just fashionable to blame T for everything?
Also, did you try walk-in clinic option before going to ER?
I had a bad experience visiting a hospital as well. I have a personal opinion:
I came to Canada two years ago escaping the low quality of life experienced in third world countries. I came to a safer place, where I can have a better life balance and a better paid job. I can walk freely at night, I make enough money to keep a decent life and save money for future projects. Still a family of two, no kids yet but planning to.
A couple of months ago, I hurt my knee and I was having trouble walking without pain. One day I simply couldn't walk, so I decided to take the day off from work and visit a hospital. After 6 hours waiting, I finally saw a doctor who said "go home and take some Advil", and then left. I wasn't even provided a wheelchair or anything, just a kind of "get out of here". I had to limp all my way back to my car, go home and buy some Advil.
Two weeks later I wasn't getting better. Went back to a different hospital to try some luck. My only luck is that I waited 4 hours instead of 6, but the message was the same. So I basically spent 6 weeks taking Advil and resting until I finally recovered. I had to ask my boss to temporarily relocate my office to a first floor because I couldn't walk the stairs.
Then again two weeks ago I hurt my lower back. I decided to try a walk-in clinic this time as I don't have a family doctor. Shorter waiting time (roughly an hour) with the same result. Go home, get some rest, and take some Advil. None of these were life-threatening injuries but they are affecting my quality of life.
I read others' experiences and I've kind of started accepting it. I changed my old life for a newer better life in Canada, but you always gotta give something. But it really concerns me when I have kids. I've read several experiences from people that don't get the proper attention for their kids until it becomes a threatening situation. This is the only thing that's making me have second thoughts on whether I made the right decision. Not the housing, not weather, not the high cost of living. It's my future kids' health what concerns me.
I came to Canada two years ago escaping the low quality of life experienced in third world countries. I came to a safer place, where I can have a better life balance and a better paid job. I can walk freely at night, I make enough money to keep a decent life and save money for future projects. Still a family of two, no kids yet but planning to.
A couple of months ago, I hurt my knee and I was having trouble walking without pain. One day I simply couldn't walk, so I decided to take the day off from work and visit a hospital. After 6 hours waiting, I finally saw a doctor who said "go home and take some Advil", and then left. I wasn't even provided a wheelchair or anything, just a kind of "get out of here". I had to limp all my way back to my car, go home and buy some Advil.
Two weeks later I wasn't getting better. Went back to a different hospital to try some luck. My only luck is that I waited 4 hours instead of 6, but the message was the same. So I basically spent 6 weeks taking Advil and resting until I finally recovered. I had to ask my boss to temporarily relocate my office to a first floor because I couldn't walk the stairs.
Then again two weeks ago I hurt my lower back. I decided to try a walk-in clinic this time as I don't have a family doctor. Shorter waiting time (roughly an hour) with the same result. Go home, get some rest, and take some Advil. None of these were life-threatening injuries but they are affecting my quality of life.
I read others' experiences and I've kind of started accepting it. I changed my old life for a newer better life in Canada, but you always gotta give something. But it really concerns me when I have kids. I've read several experiences from people that don't get the proper attention for their kids until it becomes a threatening situation. This is the only thing that's making me have second thoughts on whether I made the right decision. Not the housing, not weather, not the high cost of living. It's my future kids' health what concerns me.
I think you are going through some learning curve in navigating the healthcare system in Canada.
Hospital is the last and final place you want to get care. ER is for emergency (like you can't breath for some heart condition or allergic reaction or you were in car accident and had injuries).
Then if you have needed and can't get an appoint with your family dr, you go to walk-in clinic. If it's something a bit more serious (like a burn but not major), you try those urgent care clinic if you that in your community.
For day to day and long term health attention, you need a family doctor. This doctor will know all your minor and major issues and will have plan to send you to tests. He/she will have suggestion to your lifestyle to import your overall heatlth. So more serious and specific problems, he/she will refer you to a specialist.
In some countries, going to the hospital and to a doctor of a specialist of a particular discipline is the norm. But that's not how it works in most provinces in Canada.
like above poster said, you shouldn't be using hospital/ER for things like this. they are meant for people who are in critical health situations. Walk in clinics should be your first resort for anything that is not life threatening. there are some some walk-in ortho clinics where OHIP gets accepted. you could try them as well.
you also need to be assertive and advocate a bit for yourself in this type of system. like when you went to walk-in clinic, you should have said that your tried Advil, it isn't working and should have requested them to order a x-ray. Also, sprains take several weeks to months to resolve in general. So in the absence of fracture, your only resort is Advil anyways. Since you didn't have any type of swelling doctor might have ruled out fracture and would have simply suggested advil.
I know several cases where people got prompt attention in this system. A kid I know swallowed marble and when they went to ER, she was seen right away and got a x-ray right there. Luckily, it was nothing concerning. Another person has a mild heart attack and he got angio same and got open heart surgery in less than a week. All these happened in last 6 months.
People use ER for non emergencies and get frustrated because of their pain and wait. It kinda sucks, but the system has been designed to save people who life threatening issues first.
Should we thank Eby? We have a family doctor but it's by appointment only. Besides, she need urgent care and scans. She was discharged without wheelchaired and walked out with crutches on both arms.
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1. What makes you think I am in Ontario? Nowhere near, by the way.. and second, no, we have no walk in clinics nearby. 3rd, no lecture needed, I am pretty well versed with my provincial health system.
“Then again two weeks ago I hurt my lower back. I decided to try a walk-in clinic this time as I don't have a family doctor. Shorter waiting time (roughly an hour) with the same result. Go home, get some rest, and take some Advil. None of these were life-threatening injuries but they are affecting my quality of life.”
What EXACTLY did you want them to do ?
Seriously ?
I have sinus issues . It affects my quality of life . So be it .
Least I know now , when my nose is running nonstop , head over to an ER
Yes. agrees with you. We need to just wait for our body to heal some time.
During COVID, I fell and dislocated my elbow and I was lucky that my reflect helped it to popped back to the spot.
I was in A LOT of pain but I decided not to go to ER. I had suffered from a much more serious fall and broke my shoulder and the pain with the dislocated elbow was less. I had pain killers, general over the counter muscle relaxant and hot and cold pad to relief it. I made a virtual appointment with my family dr on the following Monday (it was the weekend) and did a video call to show my possible range of movement. And she said that I was fine and just need time to heal. My elbow was very painful and had dark bruises for weeks. But I am OK at the end.
For back injuries (or knee), if the doctor clear of any serious fracture or damages, you can try to go to a physio. They are better at dealing with pain and injuries that takes time to recover. And may be able to give you some temp relieves.
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It doesn’t sound like you have a medical background so just for your information you actually got very appropriate care. People expect there to be magical cures for things but when it comes to things like strains and sprains all you can do is RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), can take an anti-inflammatory which would be over the counter ibuprofen and physio although physio is not always necessary. Many injuries take 4-6 weeks to get better if not more. If it is a repeat injury it can take longer to heal. Whether a cold or an injury yes they impact your quality of life temporarily but that is normal there is no magical solution you need time for your body to heal. Wheelchairs are not free so you could technically buy yourself a wheelchair if you really want to but it actually could create a lot more harm than good. It is still important to move your body and the injured body part because you don’t want the affected area to freeze up. If you can’t walk easily most would get a cab/Uber or have someone pick them up. Hospitals have a way to easily pick someone up without significant walking. Would invest in a tensor bandage, some ibuprofen (no need to buy brand name Advil) here in, some ice packs in you freezer (don’t put the ice pack directly on your skin wrap it up in a towel). As already specified this wasn’t really an emergency and unless your ankle is so swollen and bruised that you are concerned that something else may be going on like a break that will require an x-ray would try RICE and take ibuprofen for a few days first and if things aren’t getting better than seek care. Most will still have visible swelling and some bruising for over a week at least. Hospitals work via a triage system but when people come for non-emergency situations waits in general get longer.
No learning for you today, sorry. Trudeau is a twat and traitor to the Canadian people. End of..