Dear Editor,
On June 14 I had a heart attack, and I made my way to our Shawville hospital emergency department.
They immediately took very good care of me and treated me with the urgency that I would expect.
After several nitro sprays, blood pressure check and getting a blood sample, I had my first EKG. It was determined at that point that I had had a fairly significant heart attack and was not going anywhere. I was transferred from the emergency department to the ICU for further observation. The nurses there treated me like royalty and attended to my needs.
I was in ICU and then transferred up to the general care floor for four more days. I was treated exceptionally well by all, and I felt lucky that I was in OUR hospital that cares for its patients. I was not just a number, and I felt that. We are so fortunate to have a local hospital that actually cares for you.
During my seven days in hospital, I had four EKGs a day, all performed by an X-ray technician. Without the ability to do this crucial check, I would not have been able to stay in our friendly local caring hospital. We need our X-ray technicians to stay or our hospital is doomed. Doctors cannot do their job missing key ingredients like the EKG.
I commend the action started to raise the extra money needed to keep our X-ray technicians. Our technicians and all of us are being treated like second class citizens. Money is an issue for sure, but so is the respect not shown with some ridiculous bureaucratic decision made to pay less. Based on no need to pay more as our hospital is staffed to proper levels to meet our communities needs. Mr elected Quebec official, check the payroll. We are running at 40 per cent, retired nurses still working and many, if not all, are working overtime. If you call that adequately staffed to meet the needs then I personally would like to show you how to staff for the needs.
Quebec has to wake up and start spending our tax money in areas like hospitalization that we need and value so highly.
I was in business myself in the Pontiac. You earn respect and it’s as important as the salary you make from your job. To all the X-ray technicians, you have our respect. Please reconsider with the community raising money for your deserved bonus to level the playing field between all technicians in the province.
We need all of you to reconsider and stay protecting our needed Pontiac Hospital. Collectively we will work with our elected officials and government to correct this unjust and just not fair practice of comparing urban and rural needs. We all need the same – care, compassion and respect.
I will never forget the love, care and empathy shown to me in my time of need. So thankful that I had our local hospital to take care of me.
Ken Pack, Shawville
