The Ontario government rejected a proposal to fund two neurotrauma beds at a Toronto hospital, as droves of critically ill patients with brain hemorrhages were being sent to the United States for emergency medical care.Now, I'm no economist... but I'm pretty sure shipping patients... and, just as importantly... critical care personnel... to the United States isn't saving any money either...
Emergency room physicians have described harrowing scenes, where patients with hemorrhagic strokes and other types of cerebral hemorrhages have languished for up to eight hours, as health-care workers begin the search to locate care.
Tom Chan, medical director and chief of emergency at the Scarborough Hospital, said none of these patients have known brain problems and then find themselves in emergency. Sometimes, the only solution is to be rushed by air or land ambulance to the United States.It's time to stop the fiberal madness.
"As soon as you hear that, patients freak because it's a ways away, but then your staff freaks because I'm going to be sending my staff with the patient," Dr. Chan said. "Then all of a sudden, it's an issue. Maybe they won't get to the border, maybe they won't be able to get their patient to the border. ... It's anxiety all around."
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