What is the point of the ER?

I’ve heard some wild stories floating around here, but luckily I haven't dealt with any of the nightmare scenarios most of you have been through.
It honestly sucks that so many of you had such brutal experiences and had to deal with all that chaos.
Back this fall, my Grandfather lost his balance and tumbled off the attic stairs. We called 911 and they actually showed up within ten minutes to pick him up. They didn't even waste time grilling us over the phone...

rowdygull90 said:I’m starting this thread because of some pretty unsettling experiences regarding the lack of emergency response. A few days ago, a friend was telling me about how her mom suddenly fell ill—she got dizzy and just collapsed onto the floor. She managed to get her to bed somehow, but in a total panic, she called 911, only for them to tell her, "Ma'am, we don't have enough ambulances available to reach you right now."

Now, just imagine being told that when a family member is having a heart attack; they basically suggest you either have a neighbor drive you or just handle it yourselves. In those moments, seconds and minutes are everything. Then, you can factor in the summer rush in tourist towns and that general lack of civic culture—where drivers refuse to pull over or hop onto a curb 👎 (heaven forbid they scratch a rim). These kinds of situations, especially during the summer, are unfortunately our reality. A good portion of them end in death, and we all know how critical timely intervention is. Even those meager "first aid" resources don't do much to improve things during the peak season. And don't even get me started on the situation out on the islands. It's decent people saving lives with their private boats because our government—specifically the healthcare system—doesn't have adequate solutions for the summer surge. Essentially, there's no funding, even though healthcare is exactly where investment should be going.

Oh, I have plenty of my own run-ins with the ER, particularly in smaller towns. I could go on about this until tomorrow. They’ve stitched me up without any anesthesia—myself, my partner, and even a colleague! 😱 You really have to live through that to understand; the injuries weren't exactly minor, either. They were completely out of anesthetic, but they wouldn't let us leave because we would have bled out.

The second time I ended up there—carried in by paramedics from out of town—I was in absolutely terrible shape due to enterocolitis and severe dehydration from vomiting uncontrollably. I waited four damn hours just to finally be seen, only to be laid down and left there for another 20 minutes while the staff sat around drinking coffee and eating cookies. Some arrogant "doctor" made a wild guess about what was wrong and sent me home with activated charcoal (god, I love it when they play doctor based on pure guesswork 😠). Honestly, you might as well break your own bones rather than deal with that!

What can I say? A few years back, there was a shooting just 100 yards from the ER. Two young men were killed—it took the responders 20 minutes to arrive. 100 yards! That disgrace actually made the news. Man, you could practically crawl there in that amount of time.

But, to be fair, I do realize why it’s like this. There is a massive lack of organization, insufficient funding, and far too few teams, which is why this keeps happening. It’s the same pattern you see repeating in almost every other industry. I don't blame the people doing their jobs—at least most of them—even if there are certain individuals who are difficult (as there are in any profession). It is true, however, that there are some incredibly rude and indifferent people: from hanging up on you mid-question to refusing to open the doors when the waiting room is empty and it isn't even shift change.

About nine years ago, my dad had a massive rupture in his large intestine. He was going through chemo at the time, and even a simple case of bronchitis was one of those brutal side effects from the pills. My mom called 911 in the middle of the night because there was blood all over the bathroom floor, but they basically told her they couldn't come out and that someone just needed to drive him in themselves. After my mom managed to drag a friend out of bed in the middle of the night to help her get him into the car, they took him to the hospital for "observation" since the bleeding had finally stopped. They sent my mom home, and when she rushed back to the ER a few hours later that morning, they actually had the nerve to tell her he wasn't there—that they couldn't find him and had no idea where he went. It wasn't until she threatened to call the police that they finally told her where he was. When she found him, my father was lying there in nothing but a thin hospital gown in a room with no lights, no heat, and a broken window. They didn't even give him a blanket, just a sheet. They didn't give him anything to drink all night—even though the man had lost a ton of blood—and they didn't even start an IV. He just looked at my mom and said, "Please, take me away from here, they’re leaving me to die..." To make matters worse, during that first month, the temperatures in San Diego would drop down toward freezing at night. Two days later, he was gone...

slycanyon22 said:If you ever had a dad or a mom who desperately needed help, didn't get it, and passed away right in front of you, you'd see how much your whole perspective shifts.

That’s exactly what happened with my old man. He took a turn for the worse at 3:35 AM, and they finally rolled up at 4:00. He was already gone. We live in Upper Dubrava; there are plenty of EMTs near the old DTR depot by the carriage house, but clearly, these idiots sent a vehicle all the way from Heinzel. It was Saturday night heading into Sunday, so the streets were empty. They crawled in like snails—they didn't even bother bringing a defibrillator into the house. They just checked his pulse and told us, dead cold, that he was gone. Right in front of all of us. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised; those general practitioners working the ER wouldn't know what they were doing if their lives depended on it. They didn't even ask about his medical history or if he smoked. The guy was rambling about an aneurysm, but my old man actually died from a blocked coronary artery. We ended up waiting for the coroner until noon.👎

In the end, nobody could tell me exactly what happened, but based on the symptoms—slurred speech, breathing without a pulse, cold sweat on his forehead—it was obviously cardiogenic shock. Though, looking at the "expertise" of those retired GPs running the ER, they probably haven't even heard of it.

I'm seeing plenty of stories just like this one, or even worse, though I know some people have had decent luck. Look, I’m not trying to trash the whole medical system—I know there are incredible doctors and nurses out there—but these kinds of screw-ups are totally inexcusable.

If certain cities are seriously short on ambulances, why doesn't the Department of Health just buy enough vehicles to actually meet the needs of the public? We all pay into the system, after all. And honestly, I think most of us would much rather see that money pumped back into healthcare instead of being wasted on building some fancy new sports arena or whatever.
If we don't have enough teams to respond to every emergency call, is the Employment Office really so empty that they can't find anyone to hire?

I’m no expert on how this stuff works, but common sense tells me this is broken and something has to change.

There are plenty of vehicles available, thank God. You see a huge amount of traffic right by the storage depot in Dubrava. I don't care if they have enough teams or not—we pay our taxes, so they should figure it out. If they can find 1,000 vehicles every few years for the federal government, they can certainly find them for the stuff that actually matters.

There just aren't enough vehicles. It varies depending on where you are, but it’s especially bad in smaller towns. During the summer, those little tourist spots turn into absolute chaos—there’s a massive shortage of cars, people, and frankly, any semblance of organization. It’s a mess. And then, when you run into a total lack of everything else—and I mean *everything*—from basic blankets to someone actually administering an IV... it honestly makes you feel sick. We all know what the situation is like, but if the government can afford to buy expensive, armored BMWs (and sip fancy sparkling water 😍), then they really ought to make healthcare a priority and patch up some of these fundamental holes wherever possible. This isn't a new issue, which is exactly why it's so tragic that it has dragged on this long without any real solutions being implemented. We are talking about human lives and human health here; that's where the investment needs to go.

Sophia Wells72 said:...(go drink some herbal tea or something 😍),...yeah.

Or just go pass out on some chamomile...
Honestly, it just proves my point—there's plenty of cash floating around, people are just blowing it in all the wrong places...

What can I even say after all this... these stories feel like they're straight out of a nightmare. Honestly, I’m starting to worry that this is just reality and that being professional, kind, or actually knowledgeable has become the exception rather than the rule... right when it matters most. 😢
I really need to back this up with my own experience. My Grandfather was stuck in a hospital in Washington, D.C. (can't remember which one) for a few weeks. Since he couldn't move much, there was always a risk of bedsores. One day my grandmother went to visit him and noticed something was wrong while she was turning him... she was absolutely horrified. The wounds were almost open. And the staff? They hadn't treated them or even disinfected them daily like they should have. They didn't even realize it was happening! It wasn't until my grandmother made a huge scene that a nurse finally decided to do something. Is that really how it works??? I just don't get it...

And don't even get me started on how impossible it is to get any actual information from a doctor about your condition, even if you wait weeks... It's like they probably just don't know.
I've had some bad experiences myself. I was dealing with panic attacks once and ended up at the ER at 2 AM—total chaos, terrified, hyperventilating... The ER was empty, the doctors were awake (but the security guard was asleep, so my husband had to wake him up just to get the ramp down so we could get inside), and I sat there for two hours waiting for a basic exam while the staff inside just chatted away. Of course, as soon as you mention anxiety, they start mocking you, but it wasn't funny for me. The doctor... just this cold, grumpy lady who kept me hanging, muttering and sighing while doing my EKG. It actually made my panic worse because it felt like something was wrong and she just didn't care. Later I figured she was probably just trying to provoke me. Man, I guess it's just not a great job to have at that hour...
Meanwhile, this 90-year-old woman was brought into the ER, pale and lethargic... probably near death. That same grumpy doctor spent half an hour arguing with the paramedics about whether the lady should have been brought there or somewhere else... she was yelling and complaining... while the ER sat empty and a woman was dying right next to her. 😢

Then there was this situation where a patient (not at that hospital) was just left in the hallway after their exam. The staff spent the time arguing over whose patient it was, what room they were in, or why nobody was coming to pick them up... they waited there for hours because the person in charge just forgot about them. It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic. Then someone eventually pushed them out of the hallway, only to bring them back later because they couldn't find their address... it never ends. I've heard stories even worse than these "little" mistakes, but I can't take any more today, unless I want to spiral into a total depressive funk.

Jesus God, what you wrote is absolutely horrific. 😢 You can only pray you never find yourself needing an ER visit, because this stuff is terrifying.

And all of that should be investigated and punished. There’s a massive difference between just being underfunded and being straight-up negligent. I’d say negligence deserves the harshest penalties, though I suspect we'd end up with a massive shortage of doctors in certain departments if we actually enforced it.

melloworca6 said:...
And we should probably just fight our way through everything and start handing out punishments too. ....

Just bashing things with an object.
Right on the head.
Until people actually start acting right.

I honestly don't get why Americans have this weird tendency to act like sheep.
They step on us, squeeze us, torment us, rob us, and discriminate against us, yet we won't even make a peep.
That "just" government that’s supposed to protect the little guy from the whims of the rich and powerful? Yeah, it doesn't exist.
People go months without getting their paychecks, they just work and stay quiet while watching the boss buy yet another luxury SUV.

Has it ever crossed anyone's mind to just take a stick to the knees of some enforcer—and yeah, I mean any kind of enforcer, even those guys working in hospitals—when there's absolutely no way to get actual justice?!

Since we're already talking about "cases," let me throw one of my own into the mix.
A dear person in my family was diagnosed with breast cancer back in August of last year.
She was scheduled for surgery in September 2011!!!!!!!!
By then, the metastases would have spread everywhere, assuming she was even still alive.
Once we finally made enough noise, suddenly a slot "opened up" and she was operated on within three weeks.
After that, she had to do radiation therapy, which was supposed to start in November 2011.

Enough of that smart talk.

slycanyon22 said:what happens when he shows up to work and just drops a box there? he’s only there because👍

that’s not really what you were getting at. But yeah, basically...
besides that, look, ER visits aren't meant for everything, which is something people always seem to forget. if you’ve got a fever for an hour, a sore throat, the flu, maybe a couple of runs to the bathroom—that’s not an emergency! all of that can wait until tomorrow for a regular appointment with your primary doctor. but when people like that clog up the waiting rooms at the ER, then the actual emergencies... they can't get handled properly.

dustymarlin10 said:Since we're already going in circles about these "cases," let me throw one my way.
A dear family member was diagnosed with breast cancer back in August of last year.
They were scheduled for surgery in September 2011!!!!!!!!
By then, if they were even still alive, the cancer would’ve spread everywhere.
Once we finally made enough noise, a "free slot" magically appeared and she was operated on within three weeks.
After that, she went through radiation therapy, which was supposed to start in November 2011.

Pretty damn smart, right?

That’s horrific—total negligence toward patients—but unfortunately, it’s not an isolated incident. What do you even do in situations like this? File private lawsuits against the people responsible for neglecting folks who actually need medical care? Or just keep flooding the media with these stories until Milinović stops grinning like an idiot every time he starts bragging about healthcare reforms?

Yeah, it’s just that the media refuses to touch stories like this with a ten-foot pole.
It's not like we're talking about some trivial celebrity scandal or a minor fashion mishap here...

Filing a private lawsuit is honestly a joke, because by the time you actually make it through the legal backlog, it’ll be a case of "mission accomplished, but the patient's already dead."

Sadly, if you ask me, the only thing that actually works is dropping down to a Neanderthal level and just screaming and making threats...
Because at the end of the day, everyone is just looking out for their own skin.

Regarding the ER, honestly, I’d start fining patients who show up for absolute nonsense when they aren't actually sick. Like those cases you guys mentioned—someone walks in with a 38-degree fever and just collapses on the floor.

Everyone knows the difference between an emergency and a nuisance. If you've had diarrhea for a day or a slight fever, you aren't dying; go see your primary care doctor. And frankly, we should fine the hypochondriacs too. If you won't see a therapist, then why the hell should everyone else pay for the bill when it turns out you're perfectly fine?

And don't even get me started on oncology patients waiting forever for treatments and surgeries. It makes me sick seeing how our system operates. 😢 We pretend we're the USA, but the reality is if you have money, you get treated; if you don't, you're just out of luck. 👎

melloworca6 said:Regarding the ER, I’d personally fine patients who show up for absolute nonsense when they aren't actually sick. Like those cases you mentioned—someone walks in with a 100-degree fever and expects to be rushed to surgery.

Everyone knows what an emergency is and what isn't. If you have diarrhea for one day or a mild fever, you aren't dying; just go see your primary care doctor. And honestly, we should penalize hypochondriacs too. If you won't see a therapist, then deal with the bill when everything turns out perfectly fine.

And don't even get me started on oncology patients waiting forever for chemo or surgery; it makes me sick seeing how our healthcare system works. 😢 We act like we're the USA, but it's basically "if you have the cash, you get treated; if you don't, you're out of luck." 👎

I'm with you. False alarms need to be strictly penalized because that behavior puts actual lives at risk. People like that should probably be forced into treatment.

melloworca6 said:So we just need more fighting and punishments then?

dustymarlin10 said:With an object.
Right in the head.
Until they start acting right.

I honestly don't get why Americans have this tendency to act like sheep.
They step on us, squeeze us, abuse us, rob us, and discriminate against us, and we won't even make a peep.
The "welfare state" that’s supposed to protect the little guy from the whims of the rich and powerful simply doesn't exist.
People aren't getting paid for months, yet they show up and shut up. They just sit there watching the boss buy yet another luxury SUV.

Has it ever occurred to anyone to just smash the kneecaps of a bully with a stick—and yeah, I mean any kind of bully, including those hospital staff types—when you can't find justice any other way?!

I really don't get this, and I definitely don't approve.
Advocating for stuff like this and then expecting decent treatment? 🙄

And when these uneducated, aggressive people show up for a checkup and try to "take matters into their own hands" based on totally wrong ideas about diagnosis and treatment (which is like half of them), how exactly do you think a doctor can do a quality job during a 12-hour shift under those conditions?
You think we're gonna be intimidated or threatened and suddenly just perform perfectly? Pathetic... 👎
What "whims," what "rich and powerful" at the ER, what "bullies"?
I just don't understand all this aggression...

There's just no order in America.
Negligence should definitely be punished, but that includes patients who give the wrong symptoms over the phone or those who ignore their own health and waste everyone's time and energy with non-emergencies—and those are usually the ones doing most of the arguing and threatening.

One time, back when I was still working in the ER, I was at the bank with my husband. This elderly lady ahead of me started loudly complaining to the teller about how the bank operates. After her third sentence, security stepped in and forcibly removed her from the counter. It made me feel so pathetic; at the ER, we could only dream of having that kind of protection.

Because of things like this, fewer and fewer doctors want to work in the ER. Teams are already hard to fill (I think the local Employment Office has zero doctors on file), and the ones who are there are mostly just looking for any excuse to leave.

slycanyon22 - I know that bit about the scammers all too well, unfortunately. There are plenty of examples. Experienced operators (basically the nurses and doctors) try to pull info out of the conversation, but if a patient drops a few key symptoms, they send them straight through regardless of whether it's someone who has called ten times before lying...

For crying out loud, read my entire post first instead of just cherry-picking the one sentence that fits your narrative. 🙄 I never said anyone should storm into an ER and start swinging at people. People here were sharing stories about calling 911, having no response, and losing a loved one because of it.

Look, sorry, but if my kid, my mom, my dad, my husband, or my sibling died because someone refused to do their damn job, I’d be looking to knock some heads together too. Since our legal system is basically broken, maybe this is the only way to actually scare people into giving a damn about their own lives.

How many people do certain individuals have to kill before they finally get kicked out of their jobs?

And tell me, would you really be sitting there all calm and composed if your child died because someone couldn't be bothered to send an ambulance for an hour?

Unfortunately, you totally missed the point of my post. I was trying to highlight some serious, behind-the-scenes issues that most people outside those government agencies don't even realize are breaking the whole system...

Anyway, I finally quit 😁 and went freelance. Now you can't just call me up and start making threats; if you want my time, you book a slot, pay the fee, and then we can have a civilized conversation. I’m doing what I love on my own terms now 🙂

dustymarlin10 said:Which just goes back to my point—the money is there, it really is—it’s just being thrown down the wrong holes entirely...

Exactly—that's honestly the crux of the whole issue.