I think, there is a major problem
in Saskatoon hospitals. I went to the hospital about 3 times in 4 years. And I
have seen it every time. There must be something that needs to improve.
I had unbearable pain in stomach,
I went to the ER in the hospital. There I had to wait for 4 hours with this
pain before doctor can see me. While I saw a man vomiting continuously with
headache and other people was suffering from other problems. I have also seen
nurses and doctors were making jokes and having fun together right beside these
patients. They were laughing loudly. I never felt such helpless like that. You
are lucky that you don’t have any problem, but you should respect other’s
situation. At least in front of them.
You know what, this is not even
the main problem that I am going to mention.
I saw, police bring a lady.
Probably she had been raped. Police put their own jacket on her to cover her
body. On the way to the operation theater one doctor was laughing and saying to
the police, “Why didn’t you put her bigger jacket? It’s their right!” Then
again, he laughed out loud. Police didn’t say anything, just smiled. The lady
was an aboriginal.
My son was coughing with blood.
We took him to the hospital. The doctor came, he was behaving very rude with my
9-year-old son, the way he was asking questions, like he was scolding him.
Right beside my son’s bed, there was a same age white boy. The doctor was very
nice and polite with him. We are the immigrant from Bangladesh.
I was lying in a bed at the
emergency room’s corridor. I was in pain and feeling cold, but no body gave me
any cushion or blanket on me. After hours one nurse noticed my condition and
gave me pillow and blanket.
After 2.5 years, I was having
breathing problem. I was lying at emergency room, attaching with heart and
pressure monitor. Because of my problem monitor was beeping. An old lady was
there beside my bed. She felt disturbed for that beeping. So, she called a
nurse and asked, “Is it my monitor that is beeping”. The white male nurse said,
“No, it hers”. Then he came to my area and turned off the beeping. Like if
anything goes wrong with me, it won’t beep, and I may die. That’s OK, but no
white people should get disturb. Later when things go worse, I had to call a
passer by and ask my nurse to come and check me. She came and give me medicine with
doctor’s concern and turned all machine on again.
Later when I get release, I wanted
to talk with my doctor about medicine. That white nurse said, “You can take Advil
Strength, if you have problem again”. I went to Walmart next day and found that
Advil Strength has Gelatin, which is not Halal and we Muslims avoid it. He knew
it, because I was wearing Hijab/covering my head with head scarf.
I think this mentality won’t
change in a day. We need to do some workshop with health region employees
including doctor’s and nurses to minimize this problem. Haters shouldn’t be
responsible for health care.
