A visit to Dandenong Hospital’s Emergency Department–my experience

One day this week, I felt terribly sick. I was fine in the morning, actually I was playing Badminton, by the afternoon, I felt like a migraine was coming on, mind you I do not have these often, probably in my lifetime, I only had 2 or 3 attacks the most, I ended up on the couch, had 1 Panadine Forte, and lied on the couch for a bit. My Headache started to disappear. I had some soup for dinner (one that I cooked), after which I started having tummy aches. I did not think much about it then. I told my husband I think I am coming down with a flu of some sort, and off I went to bed…I could not sleep my pain started to increase, and I was cramping very badly, woke up my poor husband who was dead tired, he stayed up with me giving me hot water trying to help settle my stomach as I felt like throwing up, but couldn’t and pain level was getting worse, I could not sit nor lie down as it made it worse, so I was continuously walking up an down our family room. Finally I said to him ring the hospital and see what they say, they suggested for me to go to hospital and have it checked.

So we got dressed and took off to Dandenong Hospital which is only 10 minutes by car away from us..

• Great I said when I looked at the waiting room there is only 2 waiting. I was asked all my details at the same time crouching with pain and I had to keep going. (I hate that you have to give all your private details through a window, and everyone is listening to all your private details and concerns) Where is the privacy issue??????
• When you are in that much pain, you do not want to go through this…but I suppose they have to go through this process.
• I was told to sit down, someone will look after you, but there is a wait....(but I am in pain says me)
• After ten minutes a nurse came out and game some Anti nausea Tablet, and a couple more to stop me cramping…and again I was told I  had to wait as they are very busy.
• That I could not understand as I could only see 2 patients, but then I realized as the Ambulances were coming in, of course they would be given first preference. Then parents with young kids started coming in with high temperatures and again they took priority.

And I was left hanging there crouching with pain and no matter how much I asked  I was still told to wait…..so what do you ????

Having all this time……waited 5 hours until I left the Hospital.. I was looking around   eeeeeeeeee

• Yes the waiting room was decorated quite bright and welcoming
• TV on the walls  (which is okay for those who are not in pain)
• Bright light again, made you feel safe and welcome…but for a patient I wanted to be by myself and looked after for god sake!
• Couches were made of wood and  material, which looked great to the eye, but from Hygiene point of view, I think they are not suitable some had stains on them which put you off, and I can imagine they will be more hard to clean than leather…oh yes you are saying she is really going???
• Towels or rather some sort of blankets where left on some couches, obviously given to patients that were waiting, and no one bothered to pick them…so yes Germs are spreading again…I felt very uneasy to sit on a couch and lie down (Hygiene purposes)

I was finally called in the doctor and nurses I have to say were very nice and apologized for the delay. I was examined and put me through all the tests, blood test and x-rays and all, and very impressed they had results within half an hour so from that part yes I was very very very impressed.

X-ray department
Apparently the whole hospital is having a revamp, there was notices next to the X-ray department. I was called in to have an x-ray, and I had to lie on my back on this hard stretcher, which I did not complain, but the poor guy who looked after me, was all apologetic, as he found himself very uneasy, due to the fact that there was no mattress on the stretcher, as apparently, it got dirty and they do not have another one to replace, all he could offer me was a pillow.

Patient room
Had to go back to wait in the patient room where I was seen to and was trying to lie down a bit , I was starting to feel slightly better as my cramping was letting go a bit with the medication that they gave me, and tried to lift the head rest a bit as I do not sleeping with my head right down…well apparently the control battery ran out and obviously they did not have another battery to replace it, then I was offered a blanket, and I was asked do I want to use it as a blanket or as a pillow…which told me that they did not have any pillow around…….

Well well why did I feel that I had to say all this?????? I am very lucky compared to the number of patients that have to go and deal with these issues day in day out.

• I thought we are the lucky country?
• Why are we paying our taxes?
• I am not sure if Hospitals around Australia are having all these problems and issues?
• Very obviously Hospitals are understaffed and under equipped and no wonder nurses and hospital feel the way they feel?????

I finally like to thank all the staff that finally looked after me, they were wonderful, but obviously something has to be done in the Hospital system.

I like to hear your experience good or bad, so we can raise these issues and hopefully someone listens!

Thank you for listening



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