OP-ED: Roxborough Memorial: Or Hospitals In General

By: Tina Ochal


I do not blame my debilitated organs on any thing other than my debilitated organs; although, finding this out could have yielded a more hospitable experience considering the facilities designated for this purpose. Despite the reputation of this particular hospital, I chose to go there anyway due to its close proximity and my imperative condition. By definition, a hospital is a place where sick or injured persons are given medical or surgical treatment based on personal ailments. I do not dispute this, although recommend adding a few things to that definition:

Hos-pi-tal - noun [hos pi tl]

1. a place where sick or injured persons are given medical or surgical treatment based on personal ailments with no use of affability, personality, or comfort to patients


2. a place where sick or injured persons are forced to wait for diagnosis according to doctors convenience


3. a place where nurses bring in recent personal purchases and turn the work station into a dressing room


4. a place where you must demand to speak to a doctor, or you won't


I do not know if all hospitals operate under these conditions, but I hope [for the sake of all people grounded to their hospital beds with unknown or serious illnesses] that this is not the case. I want to reiterate a statement recited by a nurse over the course of my stay:

"Doctors do not talk to their patients, they talk to the nurses, and the nurses communicate with the patients."

Here is a conversation that happened twenty minutes later between myself and another nurse:

Me: "Can I please speak with my doctor regarding my diagnosis, the next step, and my discharge?"


Nurse: "You haven't spoken to anyone yet? Your doctor [or his intern] will make rounds everyday."


Me: "No one has seen me in two days."


Nurse: "..."

What does it take to get a cup of water?

A: Three or four reminders, if you don't dehydrate first.

I understand the high volume of critical patients, stress level, and large amount of perpetual work each staff member must undergo when working within health care, and I took all of this in consideration acting with utmost patience at almost all times, but

IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT, THIS PROFESSION IS NOT FOR YOU.

There is no excuse for turning off your patients call button, never to enter their room to resolve the problem. (Thank god I wasn't dying, only in sever pain.)




Diagnosis: Roxborough Memorial Hospital; an ulcer in the ass of the system.


Treatment: Demolition.