A Hoppers Crossing mother walked out of Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department in disgust after her young son was forced to wait more than six hours in “extreme pain” with a fractured elbow.
Maya Desira took her 12-year-old son, Jack, to the hospital for treatment after he fell while playing basketball on November 8.
Despite an X-ray being taken an hour after they arrived, they waited a further 5½ hours for the results or an examination by a doctor.
At 2.30 the next morning, and after being told they could be waiting another few hours, they gave up.
“We told the staff that he was in a lot of pain and suffered from narcolepsy, which causes him to black out when he gets stressed, but it didn’t make a difference,” Ms Desira said.
“It was a nightmare.”
In frustration, Ms Desira took her son to the Royal Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured elbow, which was placed in plaster.
“I phoned the hospital to complain and they agreed we should not have been kept waiting for over six hours and should’ve been seen to much earlier,” she said.
“If they’re under-resourced they could have sent us to another hospital that could’ve diagnosed the fracture instead of making [Jack] sit there in pain.”
Mercy Health executive director Stephen Cornelissen said patients presenting to the emergency department were treated according to priority.
“It’s always regrettable when patients wait for care,” Adjunct Professor Cornelissen said.
“X-rays are not reported overnight or on weekends as radiology is provided by an external group, which does not offer this service during these times.”
