What is happening to compassion?

Letters to the editor - Dear Editor,

Today, we are living in a world of uncertain stress and pain that is not what one would expect in a society that supposively functions in an era of high technology. Yet, one of the great needs of mankind is to have stress and pain taken care of by very qualified people who have trained to the highest degree of expertise. However, we have read in newspapers across Canada about those who have been diagnosed wrongly with a deadly disease known as CANCER. I don't like the term deadly disease because cancer like any other disease can be treated well if discovered in time. Unfortunately, the race against time and illness doesn't always turn out to be a positive one. The fact that people don't get the proper care and given the correct diagnosis and prognosis is in itself a terrible disrespect for those suffering from an illness. It is also a disgrace and mistrust of the health care system.

We can all say, that we are sorry for those who have not been fortunate to overcome an illness, but this does not bring back a loved one that was so special and precious. We all understand that there are many illnesses that are very difficult to treat if symptoms are not discovered on time or dealt with immediately. We also understand that if proper care and attention is not given by health professionals when examining a person, they may miss out on the real problem a person may be suffering from. I think, this is the scary part of not having the correct diagnosis for any problem that causes stress and pain. What seems to bother Canadians the most is getting the proper care when they enter a hospital for surgery and recovery. They hear so much about people feeling worse than when they entered hospital and sometimes never returning home because of a virus they caught during hospitalization.

There is a big problem today with people not getting to see a specialists even though a referral had been forwarded by their family doctor to be seen for examination for certain treatment. Here is where we see the lack of communication between doctors and other clinics where there are specialists. They say that a referral was not received for the specialists? To make matters worse, the referral was found in the shuffle of papers forwarded elsewhere, and the person was suffering for months with arthritic pain, not even able to sleep at night in their own bed. This is not humane, and one should not have to suffer because of the neglect of clinics in misplacing referrals. There are also scheduled appointments and persons are not notified when their appointments are due, and are not able to prepare for certain examinations. These appointments have to be scheduled for a later date, sometimes for months, which prolongs the stress and pain.

We hear that measures have been taken to prevent the above problems of persons having to suffer so much needlessly. Personally, I feel that in this day and age, one should not have to suffer from pain needlessly when there is proper treatment available. There should be a better communication system between doctors and patients. If referrals are misplaced and persons have to suffer for it, then someone is out of touch with the importance of human dignity, respect and care. One can at least pick up the phone and give a person a call to reassure them of their appointments and treatments. There should be some kind of communication between a family physician and specialists in reference to a specific kind of treatment for a person with a detailed referral. When a person is ill they should not have to worry about referrals and phone calls, it's the clinics responsibility.

There are those who cast a shadow upon the nursing profession for wanting to be treated better. Well, I think the general consensus is that they do their work well, and will always be remembered and touched by those who have been in their care. What puzzles us the most is what is happening between the time a physician sees a person and those taking care of the appointments and follow-ups? There has to be a better means of communicating effectively and efficiently with a person who is ill, and needs immediate attention and reassurance.

The horrors of pain and stress must be terrible when one sits at home wondering what is happening to them. People need to identify with a name or face when they are ill to be certain that they are in good care and can develop a sense of trust in those who are caregivers in our society.

Frank Blackwood

Richmond Hill, Ontario