A Conversation with the Hospital

[Mortblanc]

Let me tell you about a conversation I had with the hospital two days ago! This is an honest recap of the words exchanged, they are now on a recording somewhere deep in the bowels of the hospital computer.

I need surgery on my rotator cuff. Usually a simple procedure, minimally invasive same day surgery.

Except that they insist I will need someone to drive me home and stay overnight that first night. How does one do that during social distancing and isolation? It only makes sense that the answer is an overnight stay in the hospital. Go in at 7am, get the procedure, spend the night and go home at 7am next day. I have been covid tested, all the workers have been covid tested, should be a marginally safe environment.

"It is impossible to hospitalize you overnight, this is outpatient surgery and we can not do the procedure if you do not have proper care when released." the hospital says. "Don't you have friends or family that can stay with you?"

I say, "but me and all my friends have been in social isolation for nearly a year. I have not laid eyes on any of them since March! The government and medical professionals have demanded it. It is a risk for anyone to closely associate, especially visit in the homes like you are demanding."

They say, "Then you need to call for a private service company to come pick you up at the hospital and stay with you overnight! You will have to pay for that out of pocket."

I ask, "Do you mean that you are suggesting that I have a person from a private company, that I do not know and have never met to come and pick me up from surgery, carry me home in their personal vehicle and remain overnight?"

They say, "Yes that is a satisfactory arrangement for us."

I ask, "Isn't that a terrible violation of the Covid safety protocols?"

They say, (Honestly they said this) "It is almost impossible for you to be infected in this situation."

I ask, "Are you then saying that all of the closing of schools, closing of churches, social distancing, isolation, retreat from family and abandonment of friendships over the past year has been a farce?"

They said, "Oh no, it was necessary, and you are being very unreasonable about this! All you have to do is call the number we give you and someone will pick you up and stay with you overnight. We can do your surgery with no problem."

I am being unreasonable? They told me that I, me, myself, was being unreasonable!!!!!

They just admitted that either:

1. The entire isolation and shutdown process was/is a lie.

2. They are lying to me about the amount of risk and don't care if I get infected.

3. The spread of Covid is not a person to person thing, especially respiratory spread, and it is transmitted in some other way that they do not want to talk about.

My vote is really for number two. They get paid for doing the surgery whether I live or die of unrelated infection afterward.

I am certain that the medical profession has killed more people, either for money or ego gratification, than all of the wars and diseases in history.

[Skean Dhude]

I'm going for 1 and 2. 2 is also two separate statements so I'm going with both of them as well.

If the surgery is minimal and minimally invasive and you have someone you can call on quickly in an emergency then just lie to them and get it done.

How can the risk from someone meeting people regularly especially from a medical viewpoint where most are being treated for something be less than someone you know has been isolating for a few weeks.

What a farce.

[Lightspeed]

2.

They get paid if you live or die.

Your ability to see through the bullshit is certainly not unreasonable. You were an awkward SOB for the person dealing with you, but not unreasonable.

Well done.

[bigpaul]

A hospital is the last place I want to be in a pandemic.
I think if it was an emergency I would have it done and use a private car service to return home, using all the necessary health protocols, face mask, maybe a visor on top on the mask, using hand sanitizer liberally and often and use soap and water on returning home. maybe wear surgical gloves as well.
thats pretty much all a person can do.
the only alternative is not to have the surgery.

[Straight Shooter]

That’s the problem with scripted answers ,especially when they do not make any common sense at all and you have to sound that they make complete sense to you answering the phone and use conviction with a firm manor .....then.......have to resort to....they are the rules that is and must take place ...because the conversation did not go to plan.......I spect that person finished the shift , returned home and skinned up a huge joint sat in a easy chair and just floated off into the ether .....where MB does not exist ....banished to the dark side forever .

Good on you pal !