BC Children's Hospital

Ok....I don't want to sound like a crazy, nor do I want to sound like a a lickspittle....

My middle son was playing rugby the other day (and yes, I know it is a crazy sport, fraught with injuries).   He took down a player twice his size, and was then hit and bent backward at a wrong angle. He lay still on the grass, 10 feet from where I stood watching in horror.

Prop's to the ref, who stopped the game right away, and the coaches who went right to him to see if he was ok.   He was having trouble breathing, and the thought was that he was winded.  It was quickly determined that he was not winded, but rather his back had been injured.    He could still move his feet and hands, but lifting his legs was excruciatingly painful.  The ambulance was called.

First to arrive were the fire paramedics    They were great.  Three of them rushed out onto the field and assessed the situation.   They were very patient and calm, speaking to my 12 year old son and putting him at ease.  One paramedic spoke with me off to one side while the other two worked on my boy.     After about 5 minutes the ambulance arrived and two ladies came out with a stretcher and back board.  They took over and within moments, we had him on the gurney and into the ambulance.   Off to Children's Hospital.

I raced there in my car, and we got him into the emergency room.    Now here is where I don't want to sound like a crazy person, but why are there so many people in emergency who are obviously not in an emergency situation?    The paramedics were great....the hospital was so full that there were no beds, and they couldn't move my son off the stretcher.   This meant that they had to stay in the hall way with my son strapped to the stretcher....they could not leave, as they told me "he is still in our care".   They were great.    They gave me room to keep my son's spirits up, and occasionally check on his injury and progress.    I asked them when they were off shift, and they said 6:30 (it was now 5:50).    I asked, what happens at 6:30 if we still don't have a bed....they said they stay with us.    They were very dedicated and attentive paramedics.   But my problem is....what if they were needed out on the road...what if there was another 12 year old lying on the grass somewhere needing their help?

Now, don't get me wrong, the Doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital were also great....they were just flooded with people.   Having a good look around the waiting area, I saw one boy with a bandage around his left eye, one boy with a broken arm splinted, a little girl with a bad cough and at least 7 other children, running around, laughing, colouring or otherwise being holy terrors.    Were these kids so sick they needed to be in the emergency room of BC Children's Hospital?    The boy with a broken arm, the boy with a bandage across his eye, or my son, strapped onto a stretcher for fear of a spinal injury....yes; emergency.    A cough, or cold, or the other 7 kids running around like they were at a playground?  Not and emergency.

I appreciate the fact that not everyone has medical coverage, and maybe some of these parents thought their kid was really sick.  But sometimes a cold, or flu just needs liquids and over the counter medication.     Sometimes a bruise or a sprain just needs time to heal.     Let's try and keep emergency rooms for emergency cases.

Fortunately the broken arm was taken care of, the bandaged eye was ok, and my son had only torn muscles along his spine and not a broken back.

But what if...?