/
1x
Advertisement

True North Strong Free. Subscribe today.

Emergency room cri de coeur

A Calgary columnist takes his ailing wife to hospital and finds the experience worthy of Dante’s Inferno
Add Maclean's(opens in a new tab)

Ever have a long, frustrating emergency room experience and wished you could tell the world? Don Braid, a columnist with the Calgary Herald, has the pulpit, but also a sense of urgency sparked by Health Minister Ron Liepert’s moves to cut and delist health services in a system already rocked by privations. For his part, Braid takes his sick wife to emergency and spends 14 hours in purgatory. "My wife is stretched out pale as a ghost with strangers all around. I had to beg for a blanket. They couldn’t spare a pillow. This ’reformed’ system feels like a nightmare where you’re screaming for help but nobody sees or hears," he writes. "Wish you were here, Ron."

Canada.com

Get the Best of Maclean’s straight to your inbox.

Sign up for news, commentary and analysis. Join 60,000+ Canadian readers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.