Tax dollars may pay for healthcare but not bedside manner

I had to go to emergency last week after my family doctor informed me through my screams of pain that I probably had appendicitis. I expected a long wait, and it actually wasn't too bad - only 3 hours in the waiting room in excruciating pain! What I didn't expect was the lack of overall care and decency from almost every health care professional that came across my path. Starting with the triage paramedic who didn't listen to my symptoms and actually cut me off to stick a thermometer in my mouth, to the 3 nurses (yes 3!) who came into the room to try and poke with me with an IV without so much as a word or introduction that left me feeling dejected and like an object of nuisance rather than a patient. Not to mention the doctor who, when my CT came back clear, treated me as if I had made up the pain and sent me on my way while leaving my bedside in a hurry before I could ask any questions about infection or what to do once home. It was almost completely a horrendous experience with the exception of the paramedic who actually was able to get in an IV and treated me like a human being, and the guy who did my CT scan who was so wonderful I almost cried with joy while there instead tears of frustration and pain. I understand emergency is usually over-populated and understaffed but its no excuse to treat people like cattle. I won't be going back unless unconscious and near death. I really hope once Capital Health finally makes cuts to the administrative overhead, they use those funds to train their health care professionals to treat patients with respect and even a hint of kindness so no one has the same kind of experience I did. —Its called heath "care" for a reason.