They threaten to speak to the media and get a bed

Photo Agence QMI, Gilles Thibodeau
12 years old, Mathis Beaudoin has finally been operated on the vocal cords, on Wednesday. His surgery was almost to be cancelled due to a lack of available beds. His mother, Nathalie Richard, denounces the lack of organization and loss of time in hospitals.

Héloïse Archambault

Friday, 14 July 2017 06:30

UPDATE
Friday, 14 July 2017 06:30

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A child of 12 years with the surgery scheduled for three weeks has been cancelled in the morning even lack of available beds on Wednesday, has finally been made after management had received the pressure.

“Why we have entered in the schedule they knew they had no room ? “explains Nathalie Richard, mother of Mathis.

“I think it’s special that when we talk about call the media, it appears the beds “, she adds.

12 years old, Mathis Beaudoin has breathing problems due to a malformation in the larynx. Since its birth, it was followed at the Montreal children’s Hospital, McGill university health Centre (MUHC).

Planned operation

Three weeks ago, an operation to the vocal cords has been scheduled for the 12th of July, last Wednesday. The child also had to undergo tests with a specialist the day before.

Faced with this situation, the family remains at Saint-Romain, in Estrie, had organized the schedule for her three other children during his / her absence.

Self-employed workers, the parents of Mathis had also taken several days of leave.

“Nobody replaces us. It had to do double duty before and after, ” says the mother, stating that they drove 250 kilometers to get to the hospital.

No bed

However, on the morning of the operation, while she waited patiently in the waiting room, the family heard the bad news.

“An employee came to tell us that there was no bed, they could not operate,” rage Mrs. Richard. We were really disappointed. My son waiting for it for a long time. “

Finally, threats to call the media have been made on the administration of the hospital, confirms the mother, and a bed has been released in the following hours.

“All of a sudden, miraculously “, quips she.

“Two experts were mobilized for the surgery. A lot of the world was wasting his time, to wait after a bed, ” said the woman. It is not correct that the company pays for it. “

Indeed, Ms. Richard does not believe that the leadership of the MUHC has been sensitive to the fact that the family came from very far away.

“The administration has had more fear of the journalist in there “, she believes.

Finally, the surgical intervention the boy went well and he took his leave yesterday.

“I was relieved that they have found the means to operate on me,” said Mathis, who was stressed by the surgery. It’s going to be more of a vacation this summer. “

Change

For its part, the leadership of the MUHC denies having found a bed for Mathis because she had suffered from the pressure. Since the hospital was very busy last Wednesday, the “procedure for the management of the beds” has been put in place and no operation was cancelled.

Yesterday, nobody was available to give an interview.

Although she does not wish to file a complaint against the hospital, Mrs. Richard wants the situation to be known to the public.

“It is super well treated here, we need these people here, swear on the mother. But this is not normal for there to be losses of time like that. “

“If they knew that there was no room, they could make us wait until November,” she adds. But, once on-site, you want to be treated. “

A snowball effect”

The cancellation of surgical interventions planned at the Montreal children’s Hospital is far from being exceptional and causes a snowball effect ” on the timing of the operations, said a source familiar with the case.

“It happens all the time. The schedule is done a month in advance, but it changes all the time. There’s always an excuse “, reported anonymously, an employee of the Montreal children’s Hospital (MUHC).

Access

“And each cancellation creates a snow ball effect on other surgeries “, he adds.

Questioned about this, the direction of the Montreal children’s Hospital, points out that the six operations on 522 had to be postponed due to a lack of access to beds, for four months.

“About half of our inpatients come from outside of Montreal and we are aware of the impacts of a surgery postponed on patients and their families. Therefore, we continue every day to work hard to reduce this number to zero, ” wrote the communications branch of the MUHC by e-mail, yesterday.

Impacts

According to the employee interviewed by The Newspaper, this figure does not include operations cancelled upstream, a frequent situation, especially since the move to the Glen site.

“It is clear that the agenda is economic, and it goes against the system that wants to reduce the waiting lists,” he said. It would take a better management. “

In addition, the employee deplores the impact of reports of surgical interventions on the families.

“People are stressed and have organized their life. When this is not done, there is no guarantee that it will happen the next time. “