A couple from Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, in the Laurentians, regrets having waited for several hours to see a doctor… who had to leave due to an emergency.
“I find it very inconsiderate and unprofessional,” said Karen Williams, 72, in an interview with Global News.
It all started on March 29 when her husband, Brian, woke up in the middle of the night with difficulty breathing. After being examined at Saint-Eustache hospital, the 75-year-old man was referred to an expert at Sacré-Cœur hospital.
The only information the couple had was the name of the hospital and the time of the appointment. In addition to having difficulty finding parking, the couple had to look for the exact location of the meeting, so much so that they arrived 30 minutes late, the English-speaking media reported.
“It took an hour, three different floors and five different people to find out which clinic he should go to and which doctor he should consult,” said the septuagenarian.
And that’s when the waiting began. After spending an hour and a half in the waiting room without hearing anything, the woman went to ask questions at reception. He was told that “the doctor [avait] was called urgently and [ils ne savaient pas] how long has it been [prendrait]”.
“Use your head”
What baffles Karen and Brian Williams the most is that they were not kept informed or offered another meeting.
“There is no way people had to sit there for two or three hours without being informed of the situation,” the woman stressed.
“Use your head, feel your heart and go out to people. How long would it take, two minutes?” added her husband.
The CIUSSS spokesperson for the north of the island of Montreal, Béatrice Gougeon, did not want to comment on a particular case. However, she clarified that patients can file a complaint.
“If this has not already been done, users can contact the local complaints commissioner at any time to ask for help or to file a complaint,” she said. This organization is independent and its services are free and confidential.”
