Maybe I should have titled this one, “Urgent” Care. I can’t decide really. All I know is that “urgent” seems to be subjective. Let’s check out a definition and see if it is.
According to Dictionary.com, “urgent” means: compelling or requiring immediate action or attention.
All I know, is that yesterday I took someone to the Urgent Care at a local health clinic and the visit turned into an emergency room visit because the Urgent Care was apparently following some other definition of urgent.
When I checked the individual in, body parts were tingling, breathing was labored, coughing, inhaler didn’t seem to be helping, and there was some dizziness.
The lady behind the counter said an hour and a half wait (there were two other people in the waiting area) but that she would put a “rush” on it (whatever that means). We then watched the two others in the waiting room get taken back and three others from another part of the clinic go back.
Then it turned into a full fledged emergency, as there was now shaking, crying, and a distressed “I can’t breathe.” It was as if all of the sudden paralysis had set in. Couldn’t hold the head up, couldn’t move arms, couldn’t hardly function. The breathing was near panting…
I raced back to where you aren’t supposed to go without escort and yelled for help. People finally started moving. Unfortunately, it was too late. Now the person who probably could have been treated with stronger does of an inhaler needed to take a ride in an ambulance to the ER.
I went from a little worried to full on scared. This is not typical by any means.
Oh, and I’m a lot angry because “urgent” was more like “We’ll get you in when we can.” Really, it shouldn’t be called “Urgent care” at all. It is a walk-in clinic. That’s all it’s ever been.
The ER was pleasant. I mean that tongue & cheek, of course. No one likes to visit that place, especially when you feel it wasn’t necessary in the first place.
Tests. Fluids. Monitoring. Hours.
Of course, they had to administer another covid test (one had already been done earlier in the week and was negative…this one too was negative).
All to find out that it’s viral and there isn’t really anything they can do, other than recommend liquids, rest, ibuprofen, and call the doc if you feel worse again.
Really? So, there was an expensive ride in an ambulance and ER visit for something the doc’s office probably could have told us in the first place? “Urgent” my ass…
Irritating AF.
Piss and Moan 
From what you described, I would have thought your friend might have COVID-19. If that had been the case, the only place the person should have gone was to the ER, not an urgency clinic. In the small town where I reside, there are 2 Urgency Clinics and one hospital. The medical staff of the town urges people to use the clinics for the less severe symptoms of whatever they have because the hospital is overwhelmed with cases of COVID-19 to the point where ER staff is being pulled to assist.
Everyone in the medical profession is doing all they can to address all medical needs, but there are people going to the urgency clinics and ER who could be treating themselves with over-the-counter medications, but for some unknown need to be treated special. They show up at one of the clinics or the ER with their complaints. They’re attention mongers. Don’t blame the people of the medical field. It isn’t their fault there are so many self-absorb people in the community.
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There are definitely a lot of people who go to the clinic or ER that don’t need to. We have all seen or experienced that over the years. And, I realize that it can be difficult to prioritize who should be seen first, so in most cases it just resorts to first come first served.
However, there are those times when you can also look at someone and just know that something isn’t right. For this instance, we knew it wasn’t covid so it was really just a question of seeing the doc to get some better asthma treatment or some antibiotics for the cold that was being fought for three weeks.
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