Earlier this summer, my wife and I found ourselves in the Emergency Room, at North York General Hospital, several times, due to some severe back problems she was experiencing.
While the problem was diagnosed during the first visit, despite the medications, the pain became worse, and we had to return the next day. When we went back to the Emergency Room, as is typically the case, it was very busy and crowded. While my wife was not looking for special treatment, she was in a lot of discomfort and wanted to lie down, however there was no room to do this. I went up to a nurse and informed her that while my wife did not need to be seen by a doctor immediately, she was in a lot of discomfort and couldn’t remain in the same position. After listening to my wife’s situation, the nurse was very accommodating and took my wife to a room where she could lie on a bed.
As I sat in the room with my wife, I witnessed first-hand the doctors and nurses in action. For starters, every doctor and nurse was busy, hustling around, and very focussed on the tasks at hand. One doctor in particular, was taking care of a young boy who had broken his arm. She understood that the patient she was dealing with was a young boy who was hysterical, and made every effort to be calm, patient, and explain to the boy what she was doing, at all times. Another doctor attended to my wife, listened to her concerns and adjusted her medication, allowing her to be a bit more comfortable despite the circumstances.
Round three for the Emergency Room visits, occurred a few days later, when my wife had to return to the hospital to obtain a renewal for her prescription. Despite the ER being busy and crowded, we happened to have bumped into the same doctor that originally took care of my wife. The doctor remembered us, and as such provided us with the necessary prescription, getting us in and out of the hospital quickly, both for my wife’s comfort and to make life a bit easier on us..
People can be stuck in the Emergency Room for many hours, and it is often very daunting, stressful, and upsetting. However, throughout all of the interactions that my wife and I experienced, I truly believe that the doctors, nurses, and staff at North York General Hospital have the public’s health care in their best interest. Despite the stress, crowding, and busy schedules, once a patient is seeing a doctor, the focus is completely on the patient…where it should be. My only complaint is the high parking fee, however when it comes to patient care, the people at NYGH were amazing, and helped put my wife on the road to recovery.
North York General Hospital
4001 Leslie Street
Toronto, ON M2K 1E1
416-756-6000
