Everybody with a runny nose is going to flock to one of our two emergency rooms now that the whole world is on swine flu alert. And that is going to add to the frustration of everybody involved.
Personally, I'm glad I don't work in the emergency department anymore. It's exciting for a while, but you can only take so many "diarrhea for one week" complaints before you lose your mind. The most common complaint from people who have visited the E.R. is the long wait time. To this day I hear stories from friends and family who report waiting in the lobby for hours before being treated. Naturally, when they learn that I've worked in the system, they want to know why it is that the process doesn't move along more swiftly. When asked, I unintentionally sigh and think to myself, do you have an hour to kill?
First responders, and hospital staff undergo yearly mass casualty drills to prepare for catastrophic events, but luckily I never had to experience the real thing. This swine flu outbreak will surely test the city's response preparedness if the shi'ite decides to hit the fan.
But judging from comments provided for El Manana's
story today, I think things are going to be brutal.
Juanita Lopez told El Manana that she took her son to a local E.R. and left after waiting a long time. She was surprised to receive a bill for $200 in the mail to cover registration fees.
Margarita Martinez described the experience as a nightmare. She'll consult her private M.D. for a non-life-threatening condition instead of having to wait 2-3 hours in the E.R.
And
Mary Salas says that the only way you will be seen quickly is to get there on a stretcher via ambulance.
Now that last one is a myth, but I don't dare get into those kinds of arguments with people. First of all, you'll get stuck with an additional $200 bill, maybe more. And if the triage nurse is a real hardass, he/she will send you out to the lobby to wait. The only way you'll be seen quickly is if your arm is hanging on by a thread, and you're gushing blood. Really.
My advice is: stay healthy, and don't go to the E.R. Good luck.