Emergencies: long waits but good care
- Because emergencies are saturated, there are waiting for about four hours in “low emergency” situations.
Two young people enter the emergency room of the Hospital de Navarra, it's five in the afternoon and it's Thursday. One of the young people approaches the reception and reveals his discomfort: “I have received pain in my arm and have been asked for an X-ray.” The receptionist gives you a role and says with a nice voice that you have to wait for your number to appear on the screen.
Di-da goes through the previous consultation. In it you see what you have, who you should attend and how serious you are. After a few questions, when your number appears on the screen, the traumatologist tells you to see it. “How long is there?” he asks with one hand holding his arm. “Take it quiet, you have a lot of time. Today there are more people than normal,” he said.
He leaves the office and enters another waiting room. The room is full of people, most of them with their head bent. Although many are alone, others go with a friend. “One person per patient,” a poster says. However, there are some who have gone with more people.
The young man beaten in his arm has pain, but he has a good face. Around them you see faces of disappointment from people who have been waiting for a long time. Marta, invented name, has been waiting three hours. In her work she fades and almost loses knowledge. “I think I’m getting worse here waiting,” he says.
The waiting room is still full and even though people are moving, it seems that the numbers on the screen don't change. Suddenly you hear a violent sound and you change a number on the screen. Every time sound sounds, people's gaze goes quickly to the screen.
In one corner of the waiting room there is one person who falls asleep and in another there is someone who works constantly with the computer. Listen to the sound of the screen, take the computer running and enter the query.
It has been about four and a half hours since the entry of the two young people. Next to him is another young man. He's been waiting for four hours. All afternoon she's been alone, but her mother just arrived.
Disappointment
It's been three hours since a young man enters his arm with pain. They've cared for a lot of people who've come before, but the order depends on gravity. “I’m desperate.”
In the waiting room you see faces getting harder and harder. “I can’t do it anymore, when is my turn?” you hear it from time to time. Others are starting to get up and eating the potato bags of the machines in it. There are also people who eat snacks. Meanwhile, screen numbers just change.
It has been about four and a half hours since the entry of the two young people. Next to him is another young man. He's been waiting for four hours. All afternoon she's been alone, but her mother has just arrived: “I know you didn’t want me to come, but if you’re with an equal adult, you’re more aware.”
The sound has been heard again and young people enter the consultation. “Hello! How are you? I'm sorry because you've been waiting a lot," the doctor says with a soft voice. Thank you for your patience: “It’s not easy to wait a long time when you’re wrong. In addition, if it is not serious, adults have priority”. Then they start talking suddenly and soon send him to X-ray. “Once the X-ray is done, go back to the appointment,” she says.
It's been about 15 minutes since he left the office, he got radiographed and went back to the doctor. “I didn’t expect it to be so fast,” says the young man. “In order for the processes not to allocate everything we do it continuously,” the doctor said. To complete his arm, he gives him all the explanations and sends him home.
The young man is happy and clear. “I’ve been waiting for a long time, but I’ve been paid good attention. I really liked how she explains things,” she tells her friend. They take things and go home.
