Amherstburg, Ont., resident Jennifer Duguay says she's still in disbelief that she crossed the border to get a biopsy after she was denied care in Windsor due to ongoing hospital delays caused by a ransomware attack.
The 52-year-old said that after three weeks of dealing with a large rash on her chest, her family doctor told her she might have inflammatory breast cancer — a rare and aggressive type.
She says her doctor told her she would be referred to Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) for an urgent biopsy. But days later, on Nov. 8, Duguay said the hospital's Breast Health Centre called and told her it couldn't be done because computer systems were still down from a cyberattack.
"[I was in] absolute shock that my doctor's referring me for something that's an emergency and I'm being told no? Absolute shock," she said. "I was very upset ... and I said, 'this is my life, what are you talking about?'"
Duguay also says she was told that she couldn't go outside of the region to get the biopsy done in London or Toronto.
canoehead, BSN, RN
6,909 Posts
They absolutely have a lack of access to routine preventative care. In my province about 1/3 of the population cannot get a family doctor. I have one, and it takes 6 weeks for an appointment, if you can get the secretary to answer the phone. Since I met my doctor working in the ER I got special permission to text her, and she would pass on to the secretary what was needed.
If the ER physician requests an urgent cardiology consult, it will take 2-3 months at least to get an appointment. If they want a consult within the week they just admit the patient. A dermatology consult is two years out.
For nursing, when the government is running healthcare, they are also your employer. Unfortunately, they will also pass laws to reduce their expenses, freeze wages, and prevent legal nursing strikes. There's no competition, since all healthcare is under one umbrella, so you can't quit and go work elsewhere without changing specialties.