Oct 11 2012
Emergency in “The Waiting Room”
It was tragic to watch the young, fifteen-year-old boy die on the operating bed. Nick shows the audience the freezer that the body is stored in and the medical worker’s reaction to this tragic event. I believe showing these things makes the documentary more realistic to the viewer and allows the viewer to feel more sympathy for the young boy.
Another young girl had strep throat and she could barely talk. The audience got to visualize the poor girls suffering and you could practically feel her pain.
Another patient had to have kidney dialysis on a weekly basis and was in so much pain from it he could careless if he got his treatment or if he lived. This patient screamed at the doctor and was very rude with the the doctor, but the doctor managed to keep calm. Nicks shows this scene to capture some of the experience that these medical workers go through on a daily basis.
It also depicts the moral struggles health care workers have to face. For example, when the habitual drug addict is brought into the hospital on a casual basis, the staff know him by a first name basis. The staff learn that this man has no where to go and are afraid that he will die if sent out into the cold. The doctors decide to give up a bed that could be used to treat a patient in order to protect a homeless patient.
The documentary shows that vital change is needed for the medical sector in order to make it easier to receive treatment, make treatment more affordable, and make service more equitable to everyone. It would probably be a good idea to open up more hospitals like these to ensure people get the proper medical he or she needs.
Source: http://www.ifccenter.com/films/the-waiting-room/
This documentary was definitely such an eye-opener. I agree with you; something needs to change. But like many other people in America, I cannot offer a solution. It seems like such a daunting problem too huge to tackle. Like you said, more hospitals.. but then where would we get the funding? :/
The documentary made me angry also. The one man who did not need a bed could not be discharged even though there were way more people in the waiting room who deserved a bed. The film shows the obvious social problems and concerns intertwined with our healthcare system and I’m worried too.
Oh and I liked your post ! 😀
We could get more funding from private donors, the government, and charities to support these hospitals. I’m glad that you liked my post, I also liked your post. I also agree more needs to be done to address these social ills. I also agree that it might be a daunting problem that may be too huge to tackle.