More Socialized Medicine

Ain’t it great? 

Mr. Roberts recalled driving to the hospital with his niece about 4 p.m. on Aug 25. Ms. Peace was a drug addict who was trying to break her habit. They were talking in the car, but then at a red light close to the hospital she stopped talking. It looked like she was not breathing.

He rushed into the emergency room, saying his niece had stopped breathing and that he needed help immediately. He said he was told to phone an ambulance. When he suggested that was not appropriate, ER staff dialed the number and gave him the phone.

A paramedic from the hospital came out to assist only after he returned to the car and stood there, shouting: “Help, she’s not breathing,” Mr. Roberts said. They rushed Ms. Peace into the hospital but were unsuccessful in reviving her.

David Plug, a spokesman for the Fraser Health Authority, which runs the hospital, said hospital staff would normally help if they were not busy with emergency patients.

If you go read the whole story, you’ll see that this hospital seems to have a policy of calling 911 for Paramedics to bring patients into the hospital if they drive themselves in.  In this case, there was a person who had stopped breathing sitting in the driveway and the hospital personnel demanded that 911 be called for Paramedics to bring the patient in.  The patient died. 

Let’s be like Canada, eh?

(Thanks, Lord Ben, for the link.)