Patients treated at Tim Hortons due to overcrowded ER
Patients treated at Tim Hortons due to overcrowded ER
A story News1130 brought you first
News1130 Staff Mar 01, 2011 07:03:35 AM
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NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) - Canada's federal health critic isn't surprised after hearing several patients were being treated at the Tim Hortons restaurant in Royal Columbian Hospital last night.
The Fraser Health Authority has confirmed some patients were being treated at the coffee shop. It says roughly six stretchers and makeshift "rooms" were created because the hospital's ER was overcrowded.
News1130 has learned the restaurant is a "designated overflow area." But whether it's been used before or whether the cleanliness standards are up to par is not known.
Ujjal Dosanjh says money isn't the issue because $42 billion has been spent on health care over the last decade.
He adds this situation proves there are efficiencies and practices that could be improved. He explains the federal government has ignored health care on a national scale, despite a 2004 agreement to reduce ER wait times. "For instance, the Prime Minister and the premiers of this country have never met and discussed health care in the last six years."
Shelly Fisher, whose mother suffers from serious heart related problems, called News1130 to say her mom was one of the patients. "So she got an ambulance ride to Timmy's. I don't think that's something you can say every day. My God, how low is our health care system going to go?"
She says paramedics did an EKG on her mother and some blood work. Fisher adds the area was very noisy and unsettling, especially for seniors.
Dosanjh admits there is no evidence private health care would lighten the ER overload. |
發表於 2011-3-1 07:16
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