The pain of waiting

R Spiteri

Jan 10th 2009, 10:29

On a number of occassions I had to vist the A&E Dept MDH. On waiting in the A&E main waiting room, I noticed that a patient or two were suffering from severe pain.The tiage nurse is obviously informed of waiting patients by the receptionist and online electronic information. I stil feel that there is still a gap on what is really going on in the waiting room and the triage nurse who decides on the priority of patients and level of urgency. I suggest that a competent Health Assistant or better still a nurse would be deployed in the waiting room itself observing, inquiring and relaying information directly to the triage nurse. In this way very minor cases would be directed accordingly and severe cases or patients in distress not kept waiting ' endlessly' until their turn comes up. Some patients are simply waiting there to be directed to other units say opthalmic ward etc. Such patients take up much of the time of other distressed patients. A nurse in the waiting area can easily clear this situation so that distressed patients are seen to without delay.

lgalea

Jan 9th 2009, 21:10

Simon Agius Muscat
You must be joking Simon.
Have you ever seen an illegal immigrant smiling for jumping the queue when he was supposed to be in pain?
No Simon.
Whatever their condition they just jump the queue because they are being escorted and the army is UNDERMANNED and OUTNUMBERED.

As far as I know people here are complaining about the time taken which is due to the lack of doctors and staff and not for treating more urgent cases prior to less urgent ones.

As to the billboard and what finger should have been shown to convey the message to he people I am sure the editor will censor my comment.

Simon Agius Muscat

Jan 9th 2009, 20:35

I do not see why anyone commenting on Illegal Immigrants getting a quicker service is unfair. If the case is urgent, it is urgent. Are you ready to sacrifice another 15 minutes to see that someone does not develop worse pain that could possibly lead to a worse condition, and God Forbid, possibly Death? Ask yourself the question.

The Hospital is State of the Art, but the attitude of some people is still in the stone age!
Humans are imperfect, hence anything made by Humans is imperfect. I have experienced this long waiting time, and I pity my parents who had to sit with me through out it!

I wonder where the Billboards disappeared to...

"The Hospital is for real Emergencies" *holds up a cut finger*

Alyson Mitchell

Jan 9th 2009, 16:38

I have been most unfortunate in suffering from chronic kidney pain due to kidney stones that arise at the most inopportune moments. It's more painful than having a baby (and I have had three with only the use of gas and air), has me crying in agony and retching constantly to the point of needing the strongest pain killer known to man... I have visited the new A&E with this problem 4 times and can only say that I have been treated with the utmost care and attention and without having to wait. Sure there were 30 or so people there before me BUT if you have ever seen someone with this condition then you would say 'AFTER YOU!' if you are sitting there with a sprained wrist, cut finger, or a headache! They do have a triage system which ensures the most urgent cases are seen to first and I for one would not hesitate to step aside for someone in such great pain. Stop complaining your health service is 100% better than the UK's!

R. Agius

Jan 9th 2009, 14:23

First of all It's the A&E not ITU...that's completeley different....God forbid your mum in law was admitted to ITU!

2nd: How do you know the boy had a broken leg?! Majority of cases in A&E with injuries to extremities have no fractures whatsoever! In the majority of cases you can only tell if a person has fractures after a GOOD clinical assessment followed by X-rays! It's therefore possible that the boy had no broken legs!

@Igalea: Sometimes you don't know if its an emergency or not that's true. But if you've been in pain for a week/month/year... etc... then that's definitely not an emergency.

Finally It is truly unacceptable that a patient has to wait for eight hours or sometimes more in the A&E. One plausible suggestion would be FULLY operating health centres up till midnight. And when I mean FULLY operational, I mean an adequate number of doctors, nurses, an operational X-ray room, adequate number of supplies, a standby ambulance, etc....

If there is money for a Jaguar for a minister, then there must surely be money for some things much more important!

Joseph Castillo

Jan 9th 2009, 13:53

@ Leo Said and D. Briffa,

May I also suggest the introduction of Fast Track Systems, where using already established protocols nurses and paramedics (such as radiographers) may diagnose fractures and sprains efficiently and effectively.

This system, which is already practiced in other EU countries, could be extended to other Hospital Departments such as Radiology.

michael turner

Jan 9th 2009, 13:19

@ chris finch. You say Mater Dei is state of the art. Well it is certainly flash, almost like a star hotel, but if you see the administration buildings you will see enormous waste of expensive space, hallways, sweeping stairs and wide corridors which have no practical use except to be grandiose. No wonder the ego trip building cost so much over budget, and no wonder the service offered to the public is so often frustrating to staff and patients alike. Open your eyes sir, Michael Turner

Carmen V . Gauci

Jan 9th 2009, 13:05

I have used the polyclinic at Mosta a few times, and i must admite its always the same scenario, as you enter the reception centre you find about 5 nurses behind the reception desk, either seeing TV or discussing topics between them like hunting, I have never once gone in and found all the staff busy at work. There is only one doctor in the waiting room, irrelevant of how many patients wait outside. ( At least when ever I have gone there was only one doctor seeing the patients ). In my opinion there are far too many staff doing exactly nothing !!! By the way they are paid out of my and your taxes. I advise anyone who has HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE to stay away from this centre !!@@

d.briffa

Jan 9th 2009, 12:20

First of all let me say that I am sorry for your mother in law... however some points should be cleared..

First of all most probably you are referring to the emergency department and not the ITU..

Yes, unfortunately people have to wait long... but did anyone ever think why people have to wait..?

Do you think that it is the worker's will to let people wait such long hours?

Did anyone ever think that the emergency department is yet another governemnt department and as such is infested with bureaucracy?

DO you think that it is the nurses pleasure to let people wait such long hours in pain?. You may wish to be informed that abroad, Emergency NUrses are allowed to administer strong painkillers ( given that certain protocols are followed).. here in malta they cannot even administer a paracetamol tablet!!

Did anyone ever go at a health centre at 9pm?... EMPTY!!!
Did anyone ever to the emeregncy department at 9pm?? ... MASS MEETING!!

NUmber of doctors in a health centre .. 5
Number of doctors in the emergency department . 5

something must be very wrong don't you think!

Something must be done Mr. Minister!!

lgalea

Jan 9th 2009, 12:14

Adriano Spiteri
You are right.
Why should we tax-paying citizens have ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS jumping the queue because they are escorted?

And all those who complain about people going to emergency with all sorts of injuries which are not an emergency, how can you know whether it's an emergency or not if you are not a doctor?

And what about the health centres that have been closed down or work on reduced hours due to Gonzipn Scrooge mentality where primary health care is concerned?

When our pockets are being emptied of their last cent by the Gonzipn octopus tentacles, the least we expect is to be served well.

What's the use of having a state-of-the-art hospital if the service doesn't match up to it?

Mind you, I am certainly not blaming the overworked and overstretched staff, but the Scrooges who have money to burn on frivolous things while they are the perfect SCROOGES where our health services are concerned.

Leo Said

Jan 9th 2009, 10:53

@ Chris Finch

Although your intenion was graciously pro-medics and pro-paramedics, your arguments can only partly help the professionals, whom you wish to defend.

@ Chris Finch and @ Stephen Camilleri

The case, which is referred to here, reflects the importance of having a primary care system with emergency services at health centre level, where the gate-keeper doctor could carry out an immediate ECG, possibly combined with a quick relevant blood test, as indicated in a case of (sudden, severe) chest pain.

Charmaine Chetcuti

Jan 9th 2009, 10:49

Are you referring to the Emergency? One has to keep in mind that a number of persons go there for treatment for frugal injuries or pain. Cases which are urgent like heart attacks, etc etc take the priority so it's obvious that if the boy had a broken leg, he would not be visited before someone who is on the verge of dying!!!

Another thing, all cases at the Emergency are taken care of, even if the condition is not urgent since staff cannot negate care to anyone. However it's understandable that if I have a minor injury and can wait I will be put on hold so that more serious cases are attended to.

Apparently your mother-in-law's situation wasn't life wasn't serious or she would have been assisted sooner.

Adriano Spiteri

Jan 9th 2009, 10:48

Many others share the same experience at the Emergency Unit.
It's useless trying to fool the people by promising a state-of-the-art hospital.
Only the building is but the ones in pain prefer immediate attention over a comfy building.

To add insult to injury I know of many cases where patients had to be admitted to other wards for the ones they were supposed to be admitted in were full. In one of the cases, the patient was admitted to the Infective Disease Unit and she had to leave a day before for an infective patient was to be admitted soon.

Apart from all this (ill-logic and ludicrousness), the European patient has to wait his turn after an illegal immigrant who doesn't contribute a cent. Yet our policies include them in our triage. In some cases they are seen before for their cases are more urgent. In others it's because they're being escorted. Whatever the reason, the legal citizen (the contributor) has to wait his turn. Not to mention the multitude of maladies they bring ashore!

Was the Mater Dei expense justifiable when there was no increase in beds, certain operations were reduced and the service got really worse?

Chris Finch

Jan 9th 2009, 10:22

Mater Dei is indeed state of the art, with excellent facilities and top-notch staff.I was thoroughly impressed by it, it rivals some of the best private hospitals anywhere.
What doesnt help the hospital, especially departments such as the ITU is people going there for trivial matters that could be dealt with at the poly clinics or by a visit to or from a GP.
At any hospital, doctors have to assess each case and work on them in order of priority. This is common sense. Someone who is in a bit of pain and uncomfortable will of course be seen after a person who is bleeding badly or unconscious and not breathing.
You fail to mention the following points,
1. What was the eventual diagnosis of your mother in law - was it in deed a heart attack or trapped wind which can also cause chest pains?
2. Was the person who fainted just left on the floor or seen to?
3. How long had the little boy been waiting? Little boys get fed up waiting after 5 minutes.
Lets give the medical professionals their due for the difficult work they do.