Op-ed: Healthcare system not perfect, but there when you need it

Raya was diagnosed and successfully treated for the extremely rare illness of infant botulism. She was somehow exposed to a toxic bacteria, which essentially shuts down physical movement and required ventilation to breathe.

Doctors at Nanaimo Hospital were perplexed by Raya’s condition. They figured it was a serious form of a viral chest infection, much like the common cold.

Raya was flown to Victoria General Hospital on the third day of her illness for badly needed complex care.

It’s hard to explain how frightening it is to see your own baby breathing through a ventilator, sedated and not knowing if you’ll ever get to see her eyes open again. Not knowing what was wrong with her for the first five days was the most difficult part.

Dr. Jeffrey Bishop at Victoria General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit strongly suspected Raya had infant botulism. The seriousness of Raya’s illness took her to Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. Raya was diagnosed with botulism a few days later and given a rarely used California-based antidote, at a $50,000 cost, to kill the toxin gripping her body.

Raya slowly started to improve.

There were setbacks along the way as she battled a pair of other viruses, which slowed her recovery. Raya was eventually discharged from Victoria General Hospital on Feb. 27.

It was one of the best days of my life.

I’ve always admired medical professionals. They work tirelessly, selflessly and are burdened by endless trauma. I was struck by how incredibly talented and empathetic all the doctors and nurses Janina and I met along the way were.

The paramedics aboard the aerial Infant Transport Team were incredibly proficient and reassuring.

Acute healthcare is not an easy work environment. Balancing not only a patient’s health needs but constantly being in the presence of anguished loved-ones consistently on edge is not an easy gig.

I’m thankful for the universal healthcare we all enjoy. I heard first-hand horror stories from two nurses, who worked previously at hospitals in the United States. I was stunned to hear instances of families of the gravely ill in the States aggressively pressed by hospital management on how they would pay for expensive treatment. The under-insured or not-insured can easily face financial ruin south of the border. A complicated birth in the United States will cost a family thousands of dollars, even with health insurance.

Having the safety net of a complimentary place to stay at Easter Seals House in Vancouver and Jeneece Place in Victoria helped make a stressful situation a little easier.

Our health system has its problems. Wait times for non-urgent procedures often take longer than most would deem acceptable. A trip to the emergency room when it’s the only option can easily turn into a several-hour ordeal. Healthcare is expensive. It eats up 35 to 40 per cent of the annual provincial budget. But like public education, healthcare is an angel-like pillar of our society to be proud of.

We as Canadians can rely on urgent, quality healthcare when we need it. Even if you haven’t leaned on our acute health system before, breathe easy, it’s there for you.

ian@nanaimoNewsNow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

Op-ed: Healthcare system not perfect, but there when you need it

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