15 months to see a specialist then he had to be operated urgently

Photo Didier Debusschère
Without new first orthopedist for 15 months, Réjean Marine has made representations to another hospital, where a specialist has deemed his case urgent. He was operated on the 2nd February last. On the photo, taken in December, Mr. Marin was hoped an operation quickly.

Kathryne Lamontagne

Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Tuesday, 27 February, 2018 00:00

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A man from Quebec who had to be operated urgently at the hip was forced to wait for more than 15 months before being able to consult a specialist.

In July 2016, Rejean Marin received from his family doctor for a reference to consult quickly an orthopedist. “He had x-rays and he said that I had severe osteoarthritis in the left hip. I referred to a specialist for bones, ” says the patient of 78 years.

Mr. Marin has started to take steps in order to find an orthopedist. On the web, it falls on excellent feedback from patients who have consulted Dr. Étienne Belzile, at the hospital of the Child Jesus. “I went directly to the secretariat, I submitted my application,” says-t it.

The patient was expected to return within a few weeks or a few months. “I have never had. I made a few phone calls to the secretariat, I was told that I was lucky that I was one of the priorities “, he explains. It also informs that Dr. Belzile manages its own waiting lists and determine which patients to see first.

Recovery

In may 2017, still nothing. Mr. Marino will contact her family physician, who makes a request to the dispatch center requests for services (CRDS), the CHU de Québec was used for a few months. The query, returned to the Dr Belzile, mentions osteoarthritis “important” to the hip and states that the patient is ” asleep “.

Despite this reminder, it is the status quo. In a last attempt to raise the awareness of the Dr Belzile to his cause, in his seventies, he sent in September a letter by registered mail. “He called me, but I was not at home. He left me a message to tell me he had read my letter. But it has not made a difference, ” he said.

At the end of nerves, Mr. Marin was presented to a different hospital, in CHUL, where his case was classified as ” urgent “, confirms the CHU de Québec. The verdict is in : his left hip was “finished” and required an operation “in the shortest possible time,” recalls Mr. Marin. “It was necessary to provide joint replacement surgery to replace my hip in full “, summarized he.

Complaint

Réjean Marine has never been recalled by Dr. Étienne Belzile. He sent him a second letter, in October, to inform him of his diagnosis and the operation to come. The following month, still without news, he filed a complaint against him to the College of physicians.

“I find that it really is remiss not to have given new. If he was busy at the time I filed my request for a consultation, he would have been able to tell me that he was busy and to give me names in reference. There, I wasted my time, ” laments the man who was finally able to have surgery on February 2, last.

At the CHU de Québec, the spokesperson clarified that ” consultation requests are always evaluated by the attending doctors and it is their responsibility to re-evaluate the priority or not.” Dr. Étienne Belzile has not returned the calls from the Log.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

July 2016

Directed by his family physician, Rejean Marin, who suffers from osteoarthritis, severe hip, went to the hospital the Child Jesus, to submit their applications to the attention of the orthopedic Étienne Belzile.

Fall 2016

No news of Dr. Belzile, Mr. Marin calls on several occasions the secretariat of the Child Jesus to do a follow up of his file. The specialist does not remember.

May 2017

The family physician of Mr. Marin makes a request to the dispatch center requests for services (CRDS) with respect to the patient, whose situation has deteriorated. The query is returned to the Dr. Belzile.

September 2017

Still waiting, Mr. Marino sent a letter by registered mail to Dr. Belzile. This last reminds us, and he leaves a voice message in which he confirms having received the missive.

October 2017

In the end, Marin decides to travel to the CHUL. Holding his urgent case, a new orthopaedic surgeon registered on a waiting list to schedule her surgery.

November 2017

Mr. Marino made a complaint to the College of physicians regarding the treatment of his case by Dr. Belzile.

February 2018

Mr. Marin is operated at CHUL