'The patients could hear him screaming': Winnipeg man in pain left waiting one hour for ER doctor
A Manitoba couple claims they experienced how broken the hospital system is after their recent visit to a Winnipeg emergency department.
Rob and Sandy Cohen told CTV News they went to the Grace Hospital emergency department on July 14. Rob had surgery, which was postponed two weeks, to remove cancerous spots from his bladder a day earlier. Sandy said he had not been able to empty his bladder since he was sent home post-surgery.
A 42-second video provided by the couple shows Rob was in intense pain inside the emergency room.
“For over an hour we listened to him scream in pain; the patients could hear him screaming,” said Sandy. “The nurses couldn't do anything because they can't give pain meds without a doctor’s authorization.”
“I didn't feel very important that’s for sure. I didn’t know what to do and I was really in no condition to really do anything,” said Rob. “It was a long hour and I was in a lot of pain. The bed was useless I couldn’t lie down anyways, I was really on the floor for the most part.”
The Cohen’s said nurses were apologizing profusely to them and after that hour passed by, a nurse went to go see if they could get a doctor to come and look at Rob.
Shortly after that, Sandy said a doctor was able to see her husband. She said he was given a bladder ultrasound and pain medication. She said her husband was also catheterized because his bladder was full and it was spasming. Sandy said by 7:30 p.m., Rob’s condition had improved enough they could go home.
Sandy believes her husband should be able to go to an emergency department and be looked at in priority order.
“I totally get if a doctor is tied up with a critical situation but there needs to be someone else to spell off so at least if somebody comes in and they’re in pain, at least be able to do something to mitigate that pain to a point where he’s not screaming,” she said.
“Part of that issue is you have a department that’s running on very thin margins in terms of staff. So people are waiting and that’s the reality.”
According to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, there were three doctors on shift the same afternoon Rob came to the hospital for care.
“While we cannot comment on individual cases, our physicians are experienced, dedicated, hard-working professionals who, despite ongoing challenges in our EDs, are committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care to all our patients,” reads a statement from the WRHA.
At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, the wait time to see a physician at the Grace Emergency Department was 6.5, hours according to the WRHA website.
“Doctors are very concerned about increasing ER wait times in Winnipeg and ER closures in rural and Northern Manitoba, and the impact this is having on patients and their families,” reads a statement from Doctors Manitoba. “There is no question that more physician and nursing coverage in the ER, along with addressing the shortage of inpatient hospital beds, are important parts of addressing this critical issue.”
Sandy said their issue is with the health-care system, not with the staff working within it.
“We don’t have a single bad thing to say about the care that we got once the care was being administered,” she said.
“This is not a complaint about the health-care professionals, this is a complaint and a big issue about the health-care system that’s broken.”
CTV News reached out to the Minister of Health Audrey Gordon for comment and were told it would be inappropriate for Minister Gordon to comment on a specific case.
In a statement, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) said there are always physicians on shift in their emergency departments at any given time.
“Since 2019, there have been no reductions in physician staffing in our urgent care or emergency departments, and in some cases there has been an increase in the number of funded physician hours on a temporary basis,” the spokesperson said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parts of Canada hit with freezing rain, heavy snowfall warnings, expected to last through Monday
Significant snowfall and heavy rain hit parts of Canada on Sunday and the weather system is expected to continue into Monday morning and throughout the day.
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader of the insurgency in Syria, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing to ties to al-Qaida.
Suspect wanted after victim forcibly confined, assaulted, and threatened with death in Scarborough
Police have released images of an individual who allegedly forcibly confined, and assaulted and threatened to kill another person in southwest Scarborough over the weekend.
Jay-Z accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old in 2000 incident along with Sean 'Diddy' Combs
A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Sean 'Diddy' Combs has amended her lawsuit to include allegations that she was also assaulted by Jay-Z at the same party.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer
The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's has stretched beyond New York City and continues. Here's what we know so far.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025
Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.