On April 15, my husband was a patient in the ER at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. In one aspect it was a positive experience due to the talents of the staff assigned to his care. They were professional and empathetic and kept me informed about his care.
The downside was the wait. We arrived at 4:30 p.m. and were not finished up until 11 p.m.
I understand the wait for situations that are a greater emergency. One of the admissions was a student who was brought in from one of the local colleges because he had partaken of too much alcohol. He was on a stretcher in the “inner sanctum” sleeping it off.
This is happening frequently. I was a patient in the ER and was forced to wait while stretchers were taken up by students who had had too much to drink. I understand the severity of alcohol intoxication but I also think the colleges should be able to prove 24-hour clinics on their campuses to deal with these individuals who usually only need watching and an IV for hydration.
If the colleges are going to allow drinking on campuses they should be ready for the consequence of taking care of thse individuals. I’m sure all local colleges have had instances of this use of the local ER.
I’ve had two daughters attend college and they may have “partied” but they never ended up in the ER for over-indulgence. If an adult is able to attend college they should act like adults and be responsible for their actions. If colleges are going to permit this behavior they should take responsibility for their “children.”
Susan B. Allan
Belchertown