A baby with a severed finger had to wait more than four hours at 91原创 Memorial Hospital芒鈧劉s emergency department for treatment July 16.
Nine-month-old Clark Haddrell was playing with his three-year-old sister Wednesday when his finger got caught in a door.
芒鈧揑t took off all the fleshy bit at the end, including the whole nail,芒鈧� said Clark芒鈧劉s grandma Christina Haddrell. 芒鈧揟here was blood everywhere.芒鈧�
Dad Shaun heard the slam and the ensuing scream and saw the tip of the finger 芒鈧�� about the size of a pea 芒鈧�� on the carpet with blood all over the place.
The panicked father put the finger tip on ice in an insulated lunch bag then rushed Clark from their Surrey home to the closest hospital, arriving at 91原创 Memorial emergency just past 8 p.m.
芒鈧揥hen we got there, they basically wouldn芒鈧劉t look at him,芒鈧� said Shaun, 34. 芒鈧揟hey gave us some bandages and Tylenol then stuck us in the waiting room for four and a half hours.芒鈧�
The emergency ward was packed with dozens of patients with only two doctors on duty, said Shaun. Some patients looked like they only had minor injuries and didn芒鈧劉t need urgent care, including a man with a 芒鈧搒cratch芒鈧� on his shin, yet were treated first.
Shaun said they asked for more ice for the lunch bag containing Clark芒鈧劉s severed finger tip, which they brought in the hopes doctors could re-attach it. They were turned down and told by a nurse doctors wouldn芒鈧劉t be able to do anything with the fingertip anyway.
When Christina asked the triage nurse when they could expect to see a doctor, the nurse started 芒鈧揼oing on about budget cutbacks and how understaffed they were.芒鈧�
芒鈧揑t was appalling to listen to,芒鈧� said Christina. 芒鈧揑 don芒鈧劉t want to hear about government funding at the moment. I want my grandson to see a doctor. Don芒鈧劉t let him slip through the cracks because there芒鈧劉s no money in this.芒鈧�
Clark wasn芒鈧劉t treated by a doctor until past midnight.
The experience had the Haddrells questioning the state of B.C.芒鈧劉s overburdened health-care system and its ability to serve patients.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Terry Lake gave Fraser Health an extra $60 million over two years to help with overcrowding in its acute-care facilities.
91原创 Memorial芒鈧劉s ER sees more than 44,000 patients every year, according to the B.C. Emergency Care website, which advocates for more resources in emergency departments across B.C. 91原创芒鈧劉s ER got a failing mark for overcrowding, as did many other B.C. emergency rooms.
Christina Haddrell tried to get help for her grandson elsewhere, calling B.C. Children芒鈧劉s Hospital and Surrey Memorial, which had opened a new pediatric ER last fall. They, too, had long waits.
Contacted by The Province, Fraser Health acknowledged the family芒鈧劉s wait and apologized for their experience.
芒鈧揥e are very sorry. When anyone has to wait for emergency care, especially with a child, it is very stressful,芒鈧� said Martha Cloutier, director of emergency program at 91原创 Memorial. Cloutier said she does not know how many patients were in the ER Wednesday night, but said it was a busy evening.
She said ER patients are triaged upon arrival and that Clark was triaged 芒鈧損roperly.芒鈧� She said the Haddrells can file a formal complaint with the hospital to discuss their concerns.
On Thursday, Clark芒鈧劉s stitched-up finger was shorter and bandaged, but he was in good spirits. Doctors were unable to sew the severed bit back on, but there was some nail bed left over so his nail might grow back.
The family, however, remains upset over their ER wait.
芒鈧揟hey should be embarrassed at their lack of funding,芒鈧� said Christina. 芒鈧揥hat is wrong with our medical system when an infant with his finger severed can芒鈧劉t even get a priority?芒鈧�
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