A room worthy of the third world

Hugo Duchaine

Tuesday, 17 October 2017 20:42

UPDATE
Tuesday, 17 October 2017 20:42

Look at this article

A man who fight against cancer is unworthy to pay $ 89 per day for a semi-private room is completely dilapidated at the Lakeshore general Hospital in Pointe-Claire.

“I feel as if I was in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in a crackhouse,” says Michel Ouellet, at the age of 45 years.

In his small room, the paint is chipping everywhere on the four walls. There are holes and chunks of gypsum are torn in many places. The curtain, which should give him a little privacy, is a hole and the floor is so damaged that it is sandy under his feet.

Only the bathroom is still in a suitable state, to console Mr. Ouellet, who has disbursed approximately $ 450 for five days.

“It’s been hard, it doesn’t make sense for a room that you pay. I asked to change, but there were no others available, ” says the truck driver, who complained without success.

Cleaned every day

For its part, the integrated Center for academic health and social services in the West Island of Montréal provides by email that the rooms are cleaned every day.

The spokesman Ariadne Bourbonnière argues that the hospital has an employee responsible to repaint and repair the walls, and continued to do so year-round. It does not explain what has caused the decay of the room occupied by Mr. Ouellet, or why it has never been renovated.

“A coat of paint, it does not cost expensive. They do make me not believe that they do not have the time ; you leave the patient, you paint, and the next morning, he can come back, ” says Michel Ouellet. At his side, his mother Veronica Dubuc sharing his dismay. “I could not believe my eyes […] it is ridiculous,” she said.

“Depressing “

Mr. Ouellet arrived at the hospital last Thursday, following intense pains in the abdomen. He requested a semi-private room after two nights because it was always woken up by other patients.

Despite the $ 89 per day that he pays for the room, and Mr. Ouellet spends very little time.

“I don’t sit here, I find it depressing, I am all the time down to the cafeteria, where there are books to read,” he says.

But, he draws the ire of the nurses, who do not like having to search for it in the hospital when they come to see him to take his vital signs, including.