A rant about Queensland Health

So before I launch into a very scathing rant about a system that has so many holes, it may as well be a sieve, I suppose I do have to be grateful for a few things. For one, I am grateful that there IS public health care in Australia, and that medical care is provided without cost. This means, that hypothetically, should I be dying, the system would come to my rescue and save my life. Also, the doctors today were very friendly. Their bedside manner was lovely and they did seem to be doing everything they could to help.

AND NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT... I don't know if I can say that Queensland Health generally sucks, but I can without a doubt say that the PA hospital absolutely does! Having never been to a public hospital emergency room before, I was nowhere near ready for the nightmare that was set to follow. Although I heard stories and was told to bring a book and be patient, I didn't realise how painful the experience could be. Firstly, having had an ear infection for the past few weeks, I went to the uni medical clinic, where I was told that the doctor there couldn't see the eardrum underneath all the crap on it and that I would have to go to the emergency room to have said crap removed before anybody could determine what was wrong with me. FAIR ENOUGH! The clinic didn't have the time or resources to do it, I can understand that. So off I went to the hospital. Even though there were never more than a grand total of 5 people in the emergency room the entire time, somehow it still took 3 HOURS for me to be seen by a doctor. While I realise that an ear infection that isn't immediately causing pain probably isn't life threatening, it seemed that my position in the queue was just going backwards as I sat and waited, with only the company of terrible daytime TV and Who Magazines.

I also noted, while I sat there and contemplated whether or not to stab myself, thus bumping up my position in line, that pretty much everyone in the ER was FAT! Now here is a curious thought, perhaps if people resisted the fried chicken and extra large fries every once in a while they may not have as many health problems, thus freeing up some medical professionals to address my ear infection. OH HANG ON! Fat people choking up the health system in the way that cholesterol chokes up fat peoples' arteries? NEVER! One thing I did not notice in the ER however, were classy, rich looking people. Not even classy per se, just not white trash types. Perhaps it's because anyone with a real job would have private health insurance, so that their ear infections and medical ailments could be fixed up in less than say, A FEW WEEKS!

And then of course, I made it to see a doctor. She was lovely. She also looked like she was about 20. But I won't judge a book by it's cover, although I do feel much more at ease with a greying, wise old looking doctor; but everyone has to learn somewhere. So after looking into my ear and learning that it whistles when I blow out and block my nose, and that nasty coloured shit oozes from it, she went to another doctor. The second doctor (a registrar apparently) did the same thing, looked into my ear and concluded that he couldn't see anything. OH REALLY? So I asked him if he could clean it out, swab away the shit and figure out what was wrong with it, like my lovely doctor at UQ told me. He chuckled. "Oh we can't do that. You'll have to see a specialist for that." SO WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE THEN!? Partying? Getting stoned? Not all doctors can be masters of all trades but is it seriously that hard to swab at an ear? To tell me what is wrong? If the emergency department at the PA doesn't have suction gear or some cotton swabs then I am seriously concerned at the state of the health system. Nonetheless, I was referred to an ENT specialist, who would be able to tell me what is wrong, and god forbid, even begin to treat it. So the doctor called the clinic to book me into the system so that I may be able to have an appointment. But lo and behold! The specialist clinic was shut. And I can't call them, I have to wait for them to call me, to schedule an appointment, which can only be done on a Tuesday or Thursday because that's the only day they're open. And they will call me sometime in the next 14 days, just to schedule it. WHAT THE FUCK? (I believe swearing is appropriate here because it is truly appalling).

Queensland has never been renowned for getting things right, after all, we are kind of the joke of the entire nation for good reasons. There's no wonder Queensland public health staff have the highest suicide rates of any. Actually I completely made up that statistic, although I imagine that for people who give their lives to helping others (or earn a fat pay cheque), being so incredibly helpless must mess with their mental health quite a bit. I'm sure that the system works well for people who are actually dying, heck, maybe if I go for a swim and allow my inner ear to fill with water, cause myself brain damage and lose my hearing I might be treated in a few days (as opposed to a few weeks).

I guess the lesson learned from this experience is that I should work hard, get a good job, get private health insurance and not worry about which way I tilt my head while I shower for risk of seriously damaging myself. Or move interstate.

What can I expect? If you want something done well you have to pay for it. If you don't pay, then you'll get slow old peanuts. I think the ear infection eventually went away on its own and I was (mostly) fine after that, so all's well that ends well.

Still, having seen some pretty average treatment in hospitals of the third world, it's hard to say whether I would prefer Queensland Health to some Cambodian clinic. Hearing is a pretty important sense, and I would be livid if a bunch of cowboys just went in there and did more damage, so I guess I can appreciate the prudence of the doctors at the PA, although it is frustrating.