Elderly woman waits six hours for an ambulance in Ottawa
As the health care system experiences delays in nearly every area, it was an excruciating delay for a 75-year-old Ottawa woman who waited six hours for an ambulance last week.
Her family says Elaine Deschenes fell and fractured her hip, nearly passing out from the pain.
"It was awful because we were feeling that pressure of what can you do and there’s obviously more that you want to do because it was difficult seeing her in that amount of pain every time she slightly moved," said Cathy Deschenes about her mother-in-law.
Deschenes fell at the end of a driveway while moving a waste bin. She fractured her hip.
"She realized this is pretty serious and I can’t move," said Deschenes.
Lying on the ground, she called for help and a neighbour rushed over. Her family called 9-1-1 for an ambulance.
"We were also advised that there was eleven ambulances in the queue before my mother-in-law’s call," she said.
Elaine’s family struggled to get her out of the mud and into the garage, trying not to cause her more pain. It was impossible to move her further as they continued the excruciating wait.
"When you’re in that situation and you’re waiting and you’re dealing with someone who is in a lot of pain, the time just kept ticking and going by," she said.
A spokesperson for the Ottawa Paramedic Service was not available for an interview on Sunday, but said they will provide an update on Monday.
There's been a record number of "Level Zero" events in the nation’s capital so far this year, where there are no ambulance crews available to respond to emergency calls.
From January to June, paramedics experienced 725 Level Zero events, compared to 750 in all of 2021.
Elaine Deschenes condition took a turn for the worse at the six-hour mark.
"She said, 'I’m going to pass out, I think I’m going, please help,'" said Deschenes.
That’s when they called paramedics back and the call was upgraded.
A paramedic crew from Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, the closest with an ambulance available, came quickly and transported her to the hospital.
"You don’t want to be in that situation, though, the point of having our paramedics is so that they are there in those critical times," she said.
Deschenes says thankfully her mother-in-law had family by her side during the entire ordeal, but others may not be as lucky.
Elaine was transported to Winchester Hospital where she had X-Ray’s and was diagnosed with a fractured hip. She has since been transferred to the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, where she’s waiting for surgery.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.