The cop called the ambulance, which was exactly what he should have done. My sister had a minor stroke at a public place and we drove her to the hospital because she was embarrassed and didn’t want us to call 911.
She waited almost three hours in the emergency room because she hadn’t been brought in by ambulance but could still stand up, walk and talk. The doctor told her that they had missed the stroke window (often, a minor stroke precedes a major stroke, and the hospital had completely ignored this) but that, fortunately, she would have only minor problems, such as floaters, for awhile. If it had been a major stroke and she’d been brought into the hospital in a private car, she would be dead now.
What's left of the couple might disagree.
The cop should have driven them himself and radioed to have the hospital ready for an emergency.
I was actually listening on a scanner several years ago when just about that exact thing happened. A kid was injured in a lawn mower accident. The deputy stopped them then rushed them to Flowers hospital.
I actually heard the dispatcher inform the deputy where to go to the emergency entrance and they would take him immediately into operating room 1.
Good for you, but you need to realize not all situations are the same.
I disagree. The triage nurse was the one who screwed up in your example.
The myth that you get admitted sooner coming by ambulance over walking in is just that, a myth.
I have been on quite a few calls where this was explained to the patient before transport and they ended up getting a $900 taxi ride in an ambulance only to be sent out to the waiting room.
You know, this is a good point. Had they arrived not in an ambulance, they’d have likely let him die in the waiting room. We hear stories about that plenty.
Exactly.
First: The hospital's policy, whatever it might be, has nothing to do with the cop's actions.
Second: not every hospital has the same ER arrival policy.