Woman Lays on a Stretcher in Canadian ER for Five Days

By Duane Lester • May 28th, 2008

Welcome to the beauty of government health care:

Mark Degasperis was furious his mother spent five days on a stretcher at Toronto Western Hospital waiting for a room with 25 patients ahead of her — until the Toronto Sun made a call and she was suddenly moved to a room yesterday.

“They were giving us the same old song and dance why she was in the emergency department with only a sheet draped around her. I couldn’t even call her because she didn’t have a phone,” Degasperis of Georgetown said.

Heather Degasperis, 60, has a dangerous bacterial condition and was sent by her doctor to Toronto Western because it has the experts for her condition.

“She is not well and wasn’t able to sleep and she wasn’t getting any better. She needed peace and quiet to sleep.

In America, you could say, “You all pretty much are the worst hospital I have ever seen. We’re taking her to another hospital.”

In Canada?

I suggested taking her to another hospital, but we were told there are long waits across the region and the doctors we need are here. So there was nothing we could do,” Degasperis said yesterday.

“I’m angry we pay such high taxes and the more money we throw at the health care system the worse it gets. People shouldn’t be lined up on stretchers in the emergency department. If you are sick you should get a room.”

I know, I know. This isn’t what will happen here, or this could never happen here or whatever argument you have to justify this program in America. This will fail, as it is currently failing in Massachusetts.
If you think that the hospitals and emergency rooms are crowded now, wait until everything is free.

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Duane Lester is an ex-Navy journalist turned blogger and podcaster. He is the lead writer and editor for All American Blogger. You can also find him on StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blog Talk Radio and Newsvine. You can contact him by clicking the "E-mail this Author" button below.
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