Langley, British Columbia –
In another example of BC’s health care system reaching breaking point, Fraser Health ordered a review after a heavily bleeding patient from an untreated miscarriage was left overnight in a hallway.
Sonia Portillo knew she had miscarried, but was shocked by the sudden and severe blood loss and dizziness, and BCEHS rushed her to Langley Memorial Hospital last week. She was admitted to the hospital in the early afternoon after she waited about an hour in the emergency department.
“I was bleeding from my clothes,” she told CTV News. had.”
Hours passed with nurses checking on her occasionally, but no one brought her painkillers, she said, even as the cramps and pain became more intense. Her partner approached the nurses station to see if anyone could help her that night.
“I said, ‘Do you have anything I can give her?’ And it quickly became tense and confrontational.
“She was in no condition to defend herself.”
Shortly after, a doctor finally arrived to prescribe painkillers, but Garcia was met with hostility from the same staff when he tried to get Portillo a pillow.
Shortly thereafter, they were kicked out of the room and the young woman spent the night in a bed in the hallway. The same staff insisted that Garcia leave for the night, even though hospital regulations allowed Garcia to stay and Portillo had no way of getting help without him.
Fraser’s response to health
Fraser Health’s policy is not to discuss patient details, but even if the patient consented and spoke on record with a journalist, health officials said a review was ongoing after the couple filed a complaint. I have confirmed that
“I take all complaints very seriously and review them thoroughly,” said Dr. Craig Murray, director of emergency care for Fraser Health in the region that includes Langley Memorial Hospital.
An emergency physician herself, she said that while miscarriages can be unpredictable, her top priority is to provide timely care and pain control, and monitor conditions such as blood loss.
He acknowledged that while the LMH team is working hard, the facility is very busy. When asked if the level of care had changed, he acknowledged a significant staffing shortage.
“Staffing challenges are a reality of the workforce right now, and it is always difficult to adapt to these changes,” Murray said. We work hard to provide timely and compassionate care.”
PORTILLO results
The morning after she checked in, a new nursing staff suddenly started blood work and met her needs urgently. I got in touch.
“(Dr. Ng) was great,” she said. “He was the first person to acknowledge my partner and ask how he was doing because this is what he is going through too. He was very caring and very clear .
Portillo had lost three liters of blood at that point and needed a blood transfusion before undergoing surgery to remove fetal tissue. This operation lasted her 10 minutes and stopped the pain and bleeding.
“It’s clear that the health care system is under strain. I think it’s important to complain for them, not complain about them.”
“(The staff) are tired, overworked, dealing with crises all day. I know how you can burn out and my heart goes out to them,” said Portillo. “But we are grateful to those who have shown such compassion and apologized for what we were going through.
