Cancer patients crammed into narrow hallway for hours
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Because of disorganisation, the lack of information and the absence of clear rules, there are horrible conditions at the National Oncological Institute. Patients awaiting chemotherapy queue in a narrow hallway from 5 AM, so they can get a waiting ticket at 7 AM for that day’s examinations. The patients decided to take matters into their own hands; they distributed home-made waiting tickets.
The patients kept pouring in in the early morning hours, they could only sit down on the steps of the stairs, despite them being in pain, or hand to stand for hours and hours. At 6 AM there were already 25 people waiting in line, but according to them, there have been instances when twice as many were there, reported Index. One of the patients said: “Patients are on the edge of fainting, standing like herrings.”
Although in the waiting room of the “B” Medical-Oncological and Clinical Pharmacologic Department there are seats, they only let patients in there after 7 AM, until then the door is locked. Patients get their waiting ticket in front of the doctors’ offices. Then they can register to the hospital’s system with their social security number at 7:30 AM, they get their lab results and can go to examination with their waiting ticket numbers. This is where they determine if more chemotherapy is needed. Consultation hours only last until 3 PM, if someone gets there late, they have no chance of getting treated that day.
“There should be a d*mn serial number machine; they would be the solution!” An older man in the hallway said, and everyone else seemed to agree. Another patient thinks that sitting on the stairs could be solved if cleaning was done earlier, or after 3 PM, so they could wait in the waiting room.
According to sources, circumstances have been like this for a year now.
As the hospital does not provide proper conditions, does not lead the patients, does not have a serial number machine, or a system that is clear for everyone, patients have been left to try and solve the situation on their own.