A Surrey girl and retired nurse spoke of ‘deplorable’ situations at Surrey Memorial Hospital, together with a humiliating 60-hour wait within the emergency room for her 89-year-old mom.
Sherry Hunter-Yzerman’s expertise comes as medical doctors on the hospital sound the alarm about what they name “disaster” situations, together with an overburdened emergency room and a scarcity of medical doctors to see sufferers within the wards.
Hunter-Yzerman’s mom Veronica was taken to the hospital on Could 17 with a extreme gastrointestinal sickness, together with persistent diarrhoea.
She mentioned that the establishment had so few workers that she needed to take her mom to the bathroom a number of occasions after which wash her.
“I used to be not provided a towel, washcloth, pads, nothing, I washed my mom in a public bathroom,” she mentioned. “If it was an an infection, because it seems, it’s simply transmitted to different sufferers.”
Hunter-Yzerman mentioned her mom was despatched house that day with a prescription and directions to see a health care provider if her state of affairs didn’t enhance throughout the subsequent week.
However the subsequent day her situation worsened and he or she returned to Surrey Memorial Hospital once more, the place this time she waited 60 hours earlier than being admitted to a room.
“When she was in an emergency, there was completely no communication, you hardly see the identical individual twice, nobody sees issues by way of,” she mentioned. “Each shift, I used to be requested to present her treatment… and it didn’t get carried out for a number of days. The tipping level got here on Sunday once I tried to determine who her nurse was as a result of she was in ache and other people simply walked away and mentioned, “I do not know.”
Veronica was finally identified with salmonella poisoning and spent 10 days within the hospital.
Hunter-Yzerman mentioned the medical doctors and nurses did their greatest however had been overwhelmed and knocked down. She claimed she even spoke to hospital managers who urged her to go public along with her story.
She mentioned she spent 14 to 16 hours a day within the hospital caring for her mom out of worry that nobody else would.
“It acquired to the purpose the place I mentioned, please simply present me the place the provides are. I put it on and off the bathroom, went all the way down to the soiled again room and emptied the bathroom simply to assist,” she mentioned.
“All I wished was primary care, not backed, simply primary. There isn’t any one. She was not washed. Nobody got here to supply to scrub, change the dressing robe. They informed her to drink and eat. Nobody got here with liquids.”
Veteran emergency room doctor and former medical director of Surrey Memorial, Dr. S. Urbain Yip, informed International Information on Tuesday that the establishment has reached a “boiling level” and that folks commonly wait 48 to 72 hours to see an appointment.
Yip mentioned the issues acquired so dangerous that medical doctors added notes to affected person information to notice delays and put up posters to tell the general public, however in each instances, Fraser Well being directors shut them down.
The week earlier than, hospital medical doctors had written an open letter to Well being Minister Adrian Dix, warning of “unsafe situations” and highlighting the scarcity of medical doctors and beds.
Dialog with International Focus BKFraser Well being CEO Victoria Lee acknowledged that the hospital and well being area had been going through challenges together with mattress shortages, delays, congestion, and points with emergency division churn.
However she mentioned the well being authority has added 50 beds to the hospital, in addition to one other 100 long-term care beds, and is engaged on worldwide recruitment.
“After all there are points that we’ve got in BC at Fraser Well being, but when I want emergency care, I received’t hesitate to go to Surrey Memorial Hospital or different Fraser Well being hospitals or BC,” she mentioned. “I do know my colleagues, hospitalists or different individuals, everyone seems to be making an attempt to do their greatest to supply the absolute best care.”
Since then, Veronica has been discharged and is recovering at house beneath the supervision of her daughter. However the expertise left its mark on the 89-year-old man.
Please. I by no means wish to return. I’ve to remain at house,” she informed International Information.
Hunter-Yzerman mentioned she hopes her story will assist different households not undergo what she has.
“God allow you to should you go to a Surrey hospital and you do not have a lawyer or a member of the family,” she mentioned. “This can be a horror present.”
