Emergency Room A Walk-In?

I'm concerned at the number of people that use the emergency room as a walk-in clinic. July 1, 2004 I was in KGH emergency room to receive an infusion for my life threatening disease. I felt bad taking up a bed for my infusion, but my condition is very serious and I had no choice. Unfortunately some people do come in to emergency with minor problems, like a sore throat.

There are many walk-in clinics in the city and there should be no reason to fill up our emergency with minor problems. This trend bothered me so much because as I waited in the waiting room another lady sat crying in her wheelchair. I was shocked to learn that she had ran over her foot with a lawn mower and cut off a toe or two. They had it bandaged up with blood seeping through. She was in agony. We also learned that she couldn't have anything for pain until she saw a doctor. She had already been waiting for 4 hours! If the emergency room was not used as a walk-in clinic there would have been a bed available to this poor lady a lot sooner.

Please think twice about clogging up the emergency room. Just imagine if you had cut off your toes and had to wait for 4 hours to get something for pain.

M.M.