Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Taxi Service or Health Care Worker

As the weather turns cold and wet, it seems my partner and I are "transporting" more "regulars" seeking drugs, attention, shelter. There is nothing medically wrong with these "frequent fliers." Somehow, they have the money for cigarettes and cell phones, but feel the need to call 911 to have us take them to the hospital. When we ask them what they would like to have done, their response is "to be evaluated." For what? They cannot tell us. And, by law and policy, we have to transport them. Don't get me wrong.....I love my job. But my job (in my idealistic mind) is to care for sick and injured people and get them the emergency help they need.

Why can a city like Columbus, that is so into appearances and national rankings for beauty and architecture, NOT do something to help these people who have "social" needs? Despite being a newbie in my EMS career I am getting pretty cynical quite quickly.

Enough of the griping....just thinking "out loud."

1 comment:

2 kids...3 martinis said...

It can get pretty disgusting, can't it? Sometimes I think people are so out of touch with reality that they don't know or care how to access the proper channels for appropriate care. And they don't pay their medical bills anyway sometimes, so we, the taxpayers, are paying for the ambulance ride to the ER for nothing. Nice!
By the way, love the Captiva tree!