Forums > Social Discussion > Australia's public health system...

Posted: 25th Oct 2004
The UK's is just as bad.



Obviously not the fault of the staff- there's not enough funds to run it properly.



I had a dilema when I hit myself in the eye whislt spinning fire meteors. When I prised my eye open there was a large and scary misty patch in my vision, and it felt pretty serious.



I had to choose between staying at home, constantly rinsing it out, and hoping for the best; or going to the local emergency unit where I would be guaranteed many hours waiting, and probably no access to water for rinsing.



I stayed home, luckily it worked out OK.



Hope you can sort the cutting out- one of the many positive aspects would be that you'd be spared having to be subjected to the public health system.

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

Posted: 25th Oct 2004
I can totally sympathise with you on this one...the amount of times I have been sitting in the emergency room trying to breathe (chronic asthmatic) and watching people go through with broken limbs (one famous footy player with a sprained ankle got in before me at one stage talk about favouratism).

Surely someone who can't breathe and is suffering from something that has killed a hell of a lot more people than a broken arm should get priority over simple things.

Mind you I have found that since moving from the Eastern States into Western Australia the treatment I have recieved in the ER room is much improved...they seem to have their priorities straight over here.

Posted: 25th Oct 2004
Our few experiences in Emergency have been good. There have been waits but we have been seen quickly and efficiently.

One of the big problems in West Aust and probably elsewhere is the use of emergency as a GP service. They clog the system and take up beds. The staff are working their butts off normally with understaffing and excessive paperwork a problem.

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu

Posted: 25th Oct 2004
Canada is the same way. When I broke my leg in a paintball accident (somehow steping on a root causeing my leg to bend with a lot of torque at a ridiciolous angle) I had to get the temporary cast removed and a fancy fibreglass one put on, so I went in (the emergency unit was the only place I could possibly go for this) and some doctor was so frazzled and unfocused from fatigue she put the cast on with my foot positioned at a 45 degree angle. Me being an idiot never noticed I couldn't walk on this (like I was supposed to in a couple of days) and hobbled out of the hospital and didn't realize her error untill I got home.

So I come back the next day, patiently wait 6 hours to see a doctor, he has no idea why I am here to see him (triage made a mistake) gets ridiciously upset and removes the cast with the cast saw pushing as hard as he can, resulting in the blade that isn't supposed to be able to cut skin to cut a neat little line down my leg. I didn't complain I merely politely pointed out I think he used a bit to much pressure, and he fault horrible and appologized. He had a cast saw to grind, and I happened to be his grinding wheel all because the ER unit was in complete and utter chaos and he was on the verge of mental breakdown (it should be noted he also works as a GP with a insanely huge amount of regular patients)

As for the cutting, it seems to be a common tactic in hospitals to be as completly rude and unhelpful as possible, hopeing it will make the person decide they don't like to cut anymore. It doesn't work, and don't let it stop you from going for medical help when you need it.

Posted: 26th Oct 2004
Yeah well the Australian Public Health system is only going to get worse given the government (I didnt) "we" voted in...

Oh when will the Australian public learn.....

OK I am not hi-jacking this thread and making it a political rant. I don't do stuff like that, and if I did I would probably get done for a terriost act or something...

Right... anyway...Sakura_moon honey, I think you really need to focus on positive things, theres a lot of great stuff happening out there, and really wonderful warm and fuzzy people (most of us live here ) you really need to sort out your self-harm thing.

I never ended up in hospital but I have a few self-inflicted scars on my body from that time, that I look at and regret. They remind me of that I was a sad, angry teenager, but you get through it, and you gotta always look on the bright side of life, and make sure you surround yourself with lovely warm positive people and experiances... hang in there matey

k8

Love and Light

~*~ Katinca ~*~

Posted: 26th Oct 2004
Right now I'm trying to get registered on the Medicare system. As an Australian passport holder they need me to prove I'm staying in the country. Apparently a one-way ticket and a P45 aren't enough, yet they can't tell me *what* proof is, exactly.

Until one of us can figure it out I'm not allowed to have any accidents.

Hmph.

There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.

Posted: 26th Oct 2004
In the US if you dont have insurance, you don't matter.....period. point in case :: my daughter was running a fever of 101.06, now for thoose who don't know 104 is lethal to an adult, 4 1/2 hours later the doctor comes out, gives us a over the counter cold syrup and leaves.........tryed to tell the nurse that my wife and i already tryed this same brand, another 2 hours for the doc to come back.............Now 3 years latter we have insurance, my daughter got sick, kids got a bad immune system, in and out with good care in less than 4 hours!!!!!!

You can't avoid pain by fencing yourself from it.
Some times you need the help of others more than anything else
But you have to let them close enough to help......
People want to be needed, I found that out too