Explosion at the Boston Marathon

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Azure

This attitude grates me even more.

Since when it is okay for someone with a pretty significant injury to sit in a waiting room for 3 hours? Are we so far gone that we don't care if people sit in the waiting room for hours on end anymore because they get free health care?

Because that is the reason nothing is changed.

I absolutely dread emergency situations because there is almost a guaranteed 3-6 hour waiting list for anything other than a life/death situation.

But no, lets keep ignoring the obvious problems. Cut your finger off? 3 hour wait. Need 5 measly stitches? 6 hour wait. Possible concussion and head trauma? 7 hour wait.

In the meantime, health care officials take taxpayer funded trips to the US for consultations that most normal people can't afford.

Always nice.

Far gone from what? Is there some period and place in recorded human history, that I am unaware of, where any person, no matter their wealth or status, could have a finger reattached, free of charge, in less than three hours?

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Azure

This attitude grates me even more.

Since when it is okay for someone with a pretty significant injury to sit in a waiting room for 3 hours? Are we so far gone that we don't care if people sit in the waiting room for hours on end anymore because they get free health care?

Because that is the reason nothing is changed.

I absolutely dread emergency situations because there is almost a guaranteed 3-6 hour waiting list for anything other than a life/death situation.

But no, lets keep ignoring the obvious problems. Cut your finger off? 3 hour wait. Need 5 measly stitches? 6 hour wait. Possible concussion and head trauma? 7 hour wait.

In the meantime, health care officials take taxpayer funded trips to the US for consultations that most normal people can't afford.

Always nice.

There certainly is nothing free in our health care system. If we don't want three hour wait times then we need to spend more money.

But I agree, if there is a way to not spend more and reduce wait times, then we should try them.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

When you get all that crazy expensive hospital attention... for free.

Waiting sucks but I always get a chuckle out of wait time complaints.

There's also a grass is greener element there. I guarantee you that in any urban ER, his friend would have waited at least 3 hours in the U.S. too. And then he would have been given the privilege of paying for it.

Sometimes I think there is as much misinformation on our side of the border as there is down there. I've experienced both systems, and I can tell you that ER wait times are not materially different in urban centers.

The cost is pretty different though. From my perspective, we get the same quality of health care and don't have to pay through the nose to get it--and that's pretty darn good. In exchange, we have to wait for elective and non-urgent surgery sometimes. I make that deal every day and twice on stat holidays.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

When you get all that crazy expensive hospital attention... for free.

Waiting sucks but I always get a chuckle out of wait time complaints.

For free? You're kidding right? Where does the money come from to pay for Canadian Health Care?

People always laugh at people who complain about waiting times until they themselves are in a situation where they have to wait hours on end for basic care of a pretty severe injury.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Azure

This attitude grates me even more.

Since when it is okay for someone with a pretty significant injury to sit in a waiting room for 3 hours? Are we so far gone that we don't care if people sit in the waiting room for hours on end anymore because they get free health care?

But no, lets keep ignoring the obvious problems. Cut your finger off? 3 hour wait. Need 5 measly stitches? 6 hour wait. Possible concussion and head trauma? 7 hour wait.

In the meantime, health care officials take taxpayer funded trips to the US for consultations that most normal people can't afford.

Don't disagree with your last item, but isn't the former the point of having a triage/check in with the emergency in the first place. There are always people that are going to have to wait. Something that is a massive #1 priority for someone may not be the case for the overall system.

Sure, it sucks to wait whilst in pain or injury but setting aside the resources just to get instantly seen for any kind of injury would be overwhelming to any system or society. This isn't like Netflix or a digital download service that is available to people on a whim.

I am sure that I'd be antzy if it were a child, wife, parent, etc. but I hope I would be understanding that there are finite resources and unfortunate people who may need help faster than myself. Which of course it easy to say and not as easy to actually feel in that situation.

That aside, it doesn't preclude a discussion about how things could be improved though.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

The best part about American ERs is the free masseuse. And if you have the right HMO they bring you an espresso while you're waiting.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Far gone from what? Is there some period and place in recorded human history, that I am unaware of, where any person, no matter their wealth or status, could have a finger reattached, free of charge, in less than three hours?

Not sure why people think it is free. Canada pays $200 billion a year on health care. Who do you think pays for that?

And he didn't get it reattached in 3 hours. He waited 3 hours to see a doctor, and then waited at least 4 hours more to do something about it.

But hey, its FRE#!!!#$!@#!@

Good God that attitude is annoying.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Azure

For free? You're kidding right? Where does the money come from to pay for Canadian Health Care?

People always laugh at people who complain about waiting times until they themselves are in a situation where they have to wait hours on end for basic care of a pretty severe injury.

Sorry, basically free.

I've been in an ER before, we all have been in an ER before. We've all had long wait times and one point in our life and it sucks in that moment cause we're whiners and we want to be helped ASAP because we're special and important just like my mom always told me.

Then you sit back and think... christ... I'm not getting a bill for any of that and at worst I wasted an afternoon and didn't get to masturbate as much as I would have liked.

Too bad so bad, it's a fair trade off.

[MrMastodonFarm]

We should start a new thread, especially if Azure goes crazy, which it is hopefully looking like he is.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

There certainly is nothing free in our health care system. If we don't want three hour wait times then we need to spend more money.

But I agree, if there is a way to not spend more and reduce wait times, then we should try them.

European systems have way more efficient systems.

But bring them up and instantly the conversation is deflected towards the US and how their system sucks.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Azure

And he didn't get it reattached in 3 hours. He waited 3 hours to see a doctor, and then waited at least 4 hours more to do something about it..

Okay, he had a part of his body removed then he had to 7 hours to have it placed back onto his body.

Doesn't change a thing.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

There's also a grass is greener element there. I guarantee you that in any urban ER, his friend would have waited at least 3 hours in the U.S. too. And then he would have been given the privilege of paying for it.

Sometimes I think there is as much misinformation on our side of the border as there is down there. I've experienced both systems, and I can tell you that ER wait times are not materially different in urban centers.

The cost is pretty different though. From my perspective, we get the same quality of health care and don't have to pay through the nose to get it--and that's pretty darn good. In exchange, we have to wait for elective and non-urgent surgery sometimes. I make that deal every day and twice on stat holidays.

I don't have a problem with how the system handles serious problems like surgeries, etc, etc. My problem has always been with how it handles 'minor' cases like stitches, fingers being cut off, broken bones, etc, etc.

And there is nothing worse than sitting in the waiting room for hours on end with a child in severe pain because he broke his hand. Even worse is when people tell you to quit bitching about it because its FREE.

[FlamesKickAss]

I call bs on waiting that long for a serious incident to see a doctor. When I fell through a glass table last year and needed stitches I was in and out on 2 hours. I'm sure there is a little exaggeration in that story as there always is when talking about hospitals.

Where did this happen? When and was there maybe another emergency that was more important than a finger?

[Azure]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Okay, he had a part of his body removed then he had to 7 hours to have it placed back onto his body.

Doesn't change a thing.

Well one thing is for sure, you are definitely like most people in Canada. They only care about how well the health care system works when it affects them.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

EDIT: never mind, let's do this in a different thread.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

At any rate, I do agree that the discussion of health care systems belongs in another thread. Someone can go ahead and start it, but for now let's keep this thread to the Boston Marathon attack and related news.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

I call bs on waiting that long for a serious incident to see a doctor. When I fell through a glass table last year and needed stitches I was in and out on 2 hours. I'm sure there is a little exaggeration in that story as there always is when talking about hospitals.

Where did this happen? When and was there maybe another emergency that was more important than a finger?

It didn't happen in Alberta. Which is even worse, because not the other provinces have money to throw at healthcare like Alberta does.

It happened at the same emergency room where I have sat for 7 hours after suffering a grade 3 concussion and head trauma that was all of a sudden very serious once the doctor actually treated me.

[drPepper1]

When I got stabbed in the arm 8 years ago, they had me stitched up and in handcuffs within 1.5 hours. I just had a bit of the spins/sweats from the loss of blood, but it didn't take long to recover. Best of all it was all pre paid in my taxes

[Devils'Advocate]

I do think this all should be moved to another thread.... sorry for throwing this completely off track. What I was getting at from the articles I posted is that it is absolutely brutal that the people that have been the victims of this tragedy are going to suffer mentally, physically, AND FINANCIALLY from this terrorist attack.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Azure

It happened at the same emergency room where I have sat for 7 hours after suffering a grade 3 concussion and head trauma

Must RESIST .....