Dear Editor
I would just like to share my point of view regarding "Health care experience humiliating" (Regional Optimist, July 1).
Ann Ewanchuck's story is similar to my experiences at the hospital emergency room. I have four young children and I have had my fair share of emergency room experiences at the Battlefords Union Hospital.
Two incidents stick out clearly in my head where I feel my family and I meant absolutely nothing to the people who should have been "caring."
My son, who was two at the time, was still fairly new to the world of walking and while running fell and had a cut on his forehead about a half inch long. It was bleeding terribly. We sat in the waiting room for an extremely long time before he was even looked at by nurses or a doctor. He was crying and extremely upset the whole time, understandably. By the time he was called to be looked at, the bleeding had stopped on its on own and was beginning to close. The nurses looked and it and said to me and my husband "if you want stitches it will have to be reopened. Do you want to put him through that?" No I did not want that. I just wanted to be sure he was OK considering it was a head injury.
Another incident that troubles me is when my daughter, three at the time, was bit in the face by a dog. The dog's tooth went right through her cheek and also cut her gums. Once again we waited countless hours to be treated like we were dumb for bringing her to emergency. They asked if she had all of her immunizations we responded yes and they replied :"Then why are you here? She'll be fine."
Why am I here? Because that is my daughter ,whom I love with everything in me, and she has a hole in her face. We were sent home without it being looked at, cleaned, or being given any medical advice about anything that could happen such as what to look for in case of infection.
It just bothers me how we could love our children with every last bit of ourselves and to have them dismissed without concern by some nurses and doctors. It enrages me.
Rosemary Sinclair
North Battleford
