July 24, 2012

Emergency Services Director
Ajax Hospital
Ajax, Ontario

Dear director:
I’m sending you this letter to present a complaint against your staff for the poor service I got at your emergency department.
Yesterday I went to a walking clinic (07/23/2012) because I have been suffering from abdominal pain for about one week and I have previous diverticulitis history, I even have blood in my stools, any food or drink that I take gave me a big abdominal pain.
Then Doctor Chow at the walking clinic, gave me a paper to go to the Ajax hospital due to the severity of my pain and because my family doctor is going on vacation.

So, this morning (07/27/2012) around 10:30, I went to your emergency unit and I was told by a doctor (I forgot her name), that I need a CT scan, then a nurse came to me and she told me that she needs some blood test to be done, then “I TOLD HER THAT I AM VERY PAIN SUSCEPTIBLE AND THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH NEEDLES” so she took the sample from my right arm and then she told me to go to the CT scan area.
This same nurse asked me to sign the consent form and then she told me that she will need to insert an intravenous needle in my arm, in that way they can put the contrast chemical in my body to perform the scan, so she inserted the needle in my left hand, but one minute after she said: “OH, I FORGOT THEY DON’T WANT THE NEEDLE ON THE HAND” so she removed the needle and she starts to try to find another vein in my left arm.
She put the needle in my arm and after one minute she said was not good, then she tried again in a spot beside, and again she said was not good, then she went to call another nurse, this nurse put the needle through my left arm and again she said was not good.
But this second nurse told the first one that the needle on the hand was OK, at that moment I started to wonder if they knew what they were doing.
At that point I was very stressful, due to the pain in my abdomen and the pain in my arms and hand.
Then they told me that they need to try again and I refused, so they called the doctor that was in charge of my case, and she told me that they will need to insert the intravenous needle to be able to feed the chemical, but I ask her “HOW MANY NURSES YOU NEED TO SET AN INTRAVENOUS IN ONE PERSON”
Then I realized that these two nurses were not capable enough to do my intravenous according they keep “GUESSING AND DEBATING” which part of my arms will be better to try.
After that, I left the hospital building regretting my situation.
“I AM VERY SICK AND THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP ME ARE NOT EXPERIENCE ENOUGH OR CAPABLE”
“I WONDER:
WHY THIS NURSE DID NOT USE THE INITIAL NEEDLE IN MY RIGHT ARM TO USE IT FOR THE CT SCAN CHEMICAL FEED???
WHY YOU NEED TWO NURSES TO DO JUST AN INTRAVENOUS???
Right now I’m very sick and I can’t see a solution for my situation.
AJAX HOSPITAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME DUE TO THE LACK OF YOUR STAFF PROFESSIONALISM.
MY FAMILY WILL TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTIONS AGAINST YOUR HOSPITAL IN THE EVENT THAT I CAN’T DO IT.
I will hope that one of your authorities will contact me to find a solution to my situation before my situation gets worse.
Manuel Ruano
18 Thornharrold Street
Ajax, Ontario
289-315-0272