mr.x
July 21st, 2007, 10:30 PM
Friday, July 20, 2007
Patient left in shower four days at Kelowna hospital
(CBC) - A hospital patient in Kelowna is complaining of poor treatment after being left in a shower stall for four days.
Travis Lowe couldn't believe where he was put, after going to hospital with a serious back injury Monday night. The Okanagan hospital is so over-crowded, Lowe was put into an area used for bathing patients.
"I'm in the shower room of the rehab section, which consists of a bathtub and two shower stalls," said Lowe.
There are two showers and a bathtub in the room. Lowe's bed is placed over the drain. The shower nozzle is hanging over his head.
Lowe says he's woken up every morning at 6:30 a.m., and wheeled out into the hallway to make way for other patients.
"They roll me into the hallway, and then bring people in to the showers, and shower them while I wait in the hallway," said Lowe.
After they're done, he's wheeled back into his shower stall, which is still dripping wet.
The Interior Health Authority which runs the hospital says it's having a difficult week with Kelowna General Hospital filled over its bed capacity every day. Patients are being put into hallway beds, closets and waiting rooms.
Lowe says, after four days in a room where the floor is slippery and the walls are dripping, he's tired of excuses.
"A typical excuse is we're doing our best with what we have," said Lowe, "But 'the best that we can' isn't good enough for patients."
Despite being in severe pain, Lowe says he'll try to be discharged on Friday. He prefers taking his chances at home, rather than spending another night in the shower.
Patient left in shower four days at Kelowna hospital
(CBC) - A hospital patient in Kelowna is complaining of poor treatment after being left in a shower stall for four days.
Travis Lowe couldn't believe where he was put, after going to hospital with a serious back injury Monday night. The Okanagan hospital is so over-crowded, Lowe was put into an area used for bathing patients.
"I'm in the shower room of the rehab section, which consists of a bathtub and two shower stalls," said Lowe.
There are two showers and a bathtub in the room. Lowe's bed is placed over the drain. The shower nozzle is hanging over his head.
Lowe says he's woken up every morning at 6:30 a.m., and wheeled out into the hallway to make way for other patients.
"They roll me into the hallway, and then bring people in to the showers, and shower them while I wait in the hallway," said Lowe.
After they're done, he's wheeled back into his shower stall, which is still dripping wet.
The Interior Health Authority which runs the hospital says it's having a difficult week with Kelowna General Hospital filled over its bed capacity every day. Patients are being put into hallway beds, closets and waiting rooms.
Lowe says, after four days in a room where the floor is slippery and the walls are dripping, he's tired of excuses.
"A typical excuse is we're doing our best with what we have," said Lowe, "But 'the best that we can' isn't good enough for patients."
Despite being in severe pain, Lowe says he'll try to be discharged on Friday. He prefers taking his chances at home, rather than spending another night in the shower.