ER doctor's quick action saved life of 8-year-old girl Girl sent to Detroit

Windsor Star ^ | June 8, 2012 | Monica Wolfson

[Former Proud Canadian]

A critically ill eight-year-old child is alive today because a Windsor emergency room doctor refused to wait for provincial approval to send the child to a Detroit hospital, according to the patient’s mother and hospital doctor.

“She needed emergency surgery and if you don’t operate she was going to die,” said Dr. David Adekoya, Windsor Regional Hospital’s chief of emergency surgery who was at the hospital when the girl was treated. “She needed to be at a facility within an hour. We needed to make a decision and not wait around.”

.... After the transfer to Detroit was arranged, CritiCall approved it and all medical bills were paid for by the province, according to Mary’s mother and Musyj. A team from Detroit arrived in Windsor with a nurse, respiratory therapist and two paramedics, Mary’s mom said. Mary was diagnosed in Detroit with having multiple aneurysms clustered in her brain.

n the past year, Windsor Regional sent 52 patients to Michigan hospitals, while Hotel-Dieu sent 47 to Detroit area hospitals.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I posted this story for two reasons.

Firstly, I want my American friends to note what happens when government takes over health care. Not to go too far into the weeds but, some background. Windsor is in Canada, one mile south of Detroit. There is no pediatric neurosurgeon in Windsor so the girl could not be treated here. The current controversy involves a government sanctioned organization (Criticall) that is supposed to find a place for patients when there is no care available locally. Critical patients are transported by an air ambulance organization, also a quasi-government organization. This doctor had a patient who needed immediate care. He knew that a 30 minute wait while Critical decided what to do and another 4 hour round trip helicopter flight to London, Ontario would mean death for his patient. He cut through the government red tape, secured treatment in Detroit, and saved his patient.

This comes on the heels of a case where a nine year old girl died in a similar incident.

I hope my Canadian friends are as awestruck by the American hospital's response to the situation as I was. The Detroit hospital immediately sent a four person team to escort the patient back to Detroit for treatment. The little girl was operated on and she is recovering nicely. I'm not sure things work like this anywhere else in the world, except for how Israel treats Palestinian patients.

[SandRat]

Ping

[BfloGuy]

This is a very good example of what government health care causes. What will Canadians do when America finally succumbs completely to the socialist disease?

[Former Proud Canadian]

Well, things won't be so good by then, will they? But, don't worry about Canada, what will happen to the US?

Seriously, with any luck some sense will come to our political leaders. There is no reason that people can't pay a small user fee for a doctor visit or a hospital stay or even an ambulance ride. Believe it or not, a $5 charge for all of these services would go a long way to relieving the situation.

[freedumb2003]

A couple of comments:

GOD BLESS this doctor. He took a heavy risk against the bureaucracy to rescue this child.

Also GOD BLESS the medical team in Detroit. Detroit may get a lot of well-deserved knocks but in this case when it came to what was important, these folks stepped up.

[Aria]

So Canada paid for their citizen’s hospital bills? Then why can’t Mexico do the same? This would solve at least some of our problems - not that the communists in D.C. actually want this however....

It’s our own government that is against us. Although I guess there’s no point in saying this at FR since you all already know.

[null and void]

As long as a system allows individual initiative to do what's needed it isn't totally broken.

The key question here is "Will the doctor be punished?"

[cripplecreek]

A few years back a union leader from Windsor was held in an ambulance at the border. Poetic justice aside, it was wrong stopping him.

[cripplecreek]

When I was born in 64 the total cost was only a couple hundred dollars.

[cripplecreek]

I was wrong. My mother says the total hospital bill for my delivery was $80 in 1964.

[Waywardson]

That is $2,800 in today’s dollars. FYI

[BenLurkin]

Bump!

[raybbr]

When I was born in 64 the total cost was only a couple hundred dollars.

....

I was wrong. My mother says the total hospital bill for my delivery was $80 in 1964.

Did you have to yell up from the basement?

:^0)

[kjo]

Fully expect the Canadian authorities to punish this man. I’d bet on it.

[cripplecreek]

That is $2,800 in today’s dollars. FYI

My dad made around $60 per week as a garbage man when I was born.

[cripplecreek]

Did you have to yell up from the basement?

Dr Keefer was locally famous for being a drunk but he got the job done and delivered a lot of babies including a few Michigan FReepers.

[mongo141]

When I was about 2 or 3 I had my tonsils removed on the kitchen table by a doctor who came out to the house we were living in. This was in about 1945 or 6 and such things were common in those days according to my mother. She had to supply some boiled towels and wash cloths and help the doctor administer chloroform which was sprinkled on a wire mesh screen covered by a wash cloth that was placed over my face. I can remember that green wash cloth to this day and that I got all the ice cream I wanted after the “fun” was over. My mother presented me with a hand written bill signed by a Doctor (who's name I cannot remember) a few years before she died. I think it came to about $12.00, big money for our family in those days I was told.

[cripplecreek]

I probably would have died if I had my tonsils taken out at home. Apparently some late night bleeding sent me back into emergency surgery.

[BfloGuy]

Believe it or not, a $5 charge for all of these services would go a long way to relieving the situation.

Yes, of course. After posting, the obvious answer that Canada would begin to encourage private medical services occurred to me. The socialization of America's health care is probably what it will take.

Harper could surprise, though.

[RobinOfKingston]

I have, laying between my arms as I type, a hospital bill incurred by my Aunt in August of 1937. She was treated for appendicitis.

10 days at $4.00 per day, $40.00
Operating room, $15.00
Anesthesia, $10.00
Lab tests, $5.00
Medicines, $2.80
Total, $72.80

Unfortunately, the doctor’s and anesthesiologist’s bills did not survive in our family archives, so I don’t know what they were.

My Aunt lived 45 more years, so the care, at least in this case, was as good then as it is now.

[GOPJ]

Remember how liberals would shove our faces in the ‘oh so brilliant' Europeans? How their socialism worked? And what were we afraid of? Well, turns out the price was too high. Greece, Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland ... broke. Ka-put. Not so brilliant now...

[combat_boots]

My sainted mother used to tell stories of making food for and taking it to someone in the hospital. I guess this was common.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Re post 7, no, if you read the article you will see that Windsor sends about 2 patients a week to Detroit for treatment. The problem was getting authorization to do so. The doctor got the authorization after he made the call.

[netmilsmom]

>>Did you have to yell up from the basement? <<

Some people care for their aged parents.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I’d take your bet, but I would be past posting.

[taildragger]

if you read the article you will see that Windsor sends about 2 patients a week to Detroit for treatment. The problem was getting authorization to do so. The doctor got the authorization after he made the call.

Officially or Un-Officially? Rumor is they have EMS -Ambulances just waiting to go over in Windsor just to get treatment in Detroit, which by the way has the most sought after ER residence Doctors in the country, due to what they see.

One of my gnomes tells me "pre-mee's" are often sent here ( around Buffalo a lot) because we can do things for them here we can't.

It gets sad for the little ones if mom or dad did something stupid like a pot bust, when the kid is sick, they can't get into the States to see it....

[sima_yi]

Things must be pretty bad with Canada’s health care system if they have to send patients to Detroit (DETROIT!) to get proper medical care.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “This is a very good example of what government health care causes.” <<

.
Amen!

.
>> “What will Canadians do when America finally succumbs completely to the socialist disease?” <<

.
Hopefully turn to God’s word and use the herbs he provided for real healing, sans surgery or drugs.
.

[jocon307]

Well, God bless that doctor and also the team from Detroit.

What struck me is that even in on of our most messed up cities, you can still get world class health care.

This is what makes me so sick of the left, everything is bad to them, nothing is ever good or worthy of praise.

I think many of them would like to go back to the old feudal days, we’ll be the serfs and they’ll be our lords and masters.

[Secret Agent Man]

I think its pretty clear what they will do. Like us, they will die.

[Bellflower]

I was wrong. My mother says the total hospital bill for my delivery was $80 in 1964.

And back then she likely stayed in the hospital for quite some time. Does she remember how long?

[cripplecreek]

As I understand it, DMC is a fine hospital. They see lots of trauma cases which tends to make good emergency care docs. They also provide sports medical care for the Tigers and I assume other pro sports in Detroit.

Besides, just down the road is UofM which is largely a med school with some top notch hospitals.

[outofsalt]

This doctor probably realized that US lawyers could not sue him for practicing medicine in Canada. If he had brought this girl to Detroit and the outcome had been bad he would have had every ambulance chaser piling on.
The statute of limitations does not apply to pediatric cases gone badly,

[cripplecreek]

I think back then it was only a few days but Albion Michigan isn’t a big town and it was a small hospital which makes a difference.

[null and void]

Hopefully turn to God’s word and use the herbs he provided for real healing, sans surgery or drugs.

Pray tell, what herbs are good for a collapsed lung, lacerated liver and ruptured spleen following a traffic accident?

[null and void]

Good! Both the US and the Canadian systems have their strengths and weaknesses.

[grellis]

Detroit is a cesspool in many, many ways but the city’s medical facilities have always been top notch. In spite of living in the fairly affluent suburbs, whenever a member of my family needed specialized care, we went to a Detroit hospital. Thinking back, the same was true of many of the families in my neighborhood.

[Former Proud Canadian]

And neither system would fly in the other country.

Canadians think their health care is "free". Of course it isn't.

American hospitals that I have seen look like upscale hotels. Most Canadian hospitals are somewhat run down as the government saves money on repairs.

I like to tell this true story. Remember, you just flash your health card and you get health care. Years ago I had a small wood sliver in my foot. There was no one home to pull it out and I couldn't reach it so I went to the clinic. A real live medical doctor pulled out my sliver. What a waste of talent, and taxpayer money, but that's just how it is.

[Former Proud Canadian]

See post 32.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Pray tell, what herbs are good for a collapsed lung, lacerated liver and ruptured spleen following a traffic accident?” <<

Slippery elm bark is definitely the choice for the lacerated liver and for the spleen, along with cayenne to control the hemorrhaging. For the lung it would be advantageous to know the cause. Lobelia would certainly be helpful in any case; surgery almost never is.

[null and void]

The shattered ribs from the traffic accident.

Maybe a nice calcium supplement to fix those right up?

[jmacusa]

“So Canada paid for their citizens hospital bill? Then why can’t Mexico do the same?””<< Because Mexicans are thieves and parasites who think the American taxpayer was put on this Earth to care for them.

[jmacusa]

$80 bucks well spent, doncha’ think?

[editor-surveyor]

The elm bark powder would also promote rapid scarless healing of the ribs.

Calcium ‘supplements’ are mostly useless placebos.

[null and void]

Will it gather up the splinters and set the bones as well?

[editor-surveyor]

You’re fantasizing in open forum!

Imagine up whatever you wish; that’s all you’re doing anyway.

Slippery elm can and does promote regrowth even of tissue lost in 3rd degree burns, usually without noticable scarring.

[null and void]

You would treat an accident victim with multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a ruptured spleen and a lacerated liver (not an uncommon suite of injuries in a major traffic accident) with nothing more than slippery elm bark, cayenne pepper and lobelia, and I'm fantasizing in open forum?

Love your tagline.

[editor-surveyor]

I’m talking about reliable healing; you’re talking about making quacks rich, that’s the difference.

[sima_yi]

My point, which I probably did not make very well, was that Detroit, arguably the most dysfunctional large city in America, has medical care not available under the Canadian system.
IMHO, the only thing keeping the Canadian system working is the fact that the US is immediately to the south.

[null and void]

There are two lines at the border:

Yanks headed north to get affordable drugs.
Canucks headed south to get quicker treatment.

Both systems have their strengths and weaknesses.