Mr. Minister of Health Christian Dubé,
I am writing to you to confess to a mistake: I went to the emergency room of a hospital in Outaouais for a splinter…! I know, haro on the donkey.
You see, I have a passion for woodworking, but it was the wood that bit me back with a splinter in my finger. It was obviously not the first, and I had always managed to extract them. But not this one, a tough one.
Having heard your call asking that the population not go to the emergency room for trivial matters, I undertook to be a good citizen by first calling my local community service center (CLSC). The nurse informed me that the CLSC did not perform this type of intervention, but that I could go to a family medicine group or consult my personal doctor if I had one. The only establishment indicated by Clic Santé is a disaffiliated private clinic.
My doctor is affiliated with the CLSC that I just called. The nurse replied that she would go and consult her right away. So everything is fine. A few hours later, I was called back to tell me that, unfortunately, the CLSC is not equipped to remove a stubborn splinter and that I would have to go to the emergency room to be treated.
Is this the only option? It seems so. I was still a little upset when I learned that my CLSC does not have the equipment required for extracting splinters.
I was advised to go to the Shawville hospital, 65 kilometers away, because it was a little less busy at the time. Excellent: I was less likely to be seen there by an acquaintance and to die of shame at having to admit to being there for a splinter.
I was very well received and looked after there, from triage to treatment. I barely thought I saw a slight raise of my eyebrows when I confided my splinter problem to the triage nurse. I also laughed when, following her established questionnaire, she asked me if I had suicidal thoughts. And my goodness, with my absolute zero priority ailment, I only stayed there five hours, a godsend.
Knowing your efforts to try to reform the health system, and wanting to be helpful, may I suggest you ask your people in the ministry why the so-called “front line” services cannot extract a splinter? We will surely form a committee. Remember to consider developing a splinter extraction training plan and a communications plan to follow to inform frontline services that splinter extraction is a minor operation which is within their reach.
In the meantime, since my CLSC does not have the tools, I have taken the liberty of drawing up a small list of the materials used so that your supply services can provide them to all CLSCs. You will need: disinfectant liquid, local anesthetic and a syringe, a small scalpel, fine tweezers, cotton balls, magnifying glasses and what you need to make a dressing.
For my part, I will try to learn to live with the shame of having abused the health system, although I have made numerous calls to avoid going to the emergency room before having to go there anyway.
I greet you cordially.