Urgent Need for Healthcare Improvements: An Open Letter to MPP Rick Byers
Urgent Need for Healthcare Improvements: An Open Letter to MPP Rick Byers
Owen Sound resident Martha Weavers shares her personal experience and advocates for change to improve communications and prevent treatment delays in Ontario healthcare systems.
LETTER
The following open letter was submitted to Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers and copied to members of local media on August 26, 2024.
Dear Mr. Rick Byers,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am Martha Weavers, a 43-year-old wife and mother living in Owen Sound. I am reaching out to share my experiences with our healthcare system and advocate for necessary improvements.
I have Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, which complicates my medical care. In 2021, I faced a severe issue when a kidney stone moved to my bladder and nearly caused sepsis. The treatment process involved multiple procedures, including the placement and removal of stents.
Unfortunately, the communication between different healthcare departments was poor. The ER staff and my urologist's office were not aligned, which led to complications and unnecessary delays.
In 2022, after relocating to Owen Sound, my family and I encountered additional challenges. We had no local family doctor available, so I continued my care through my previous doctor in Brantford while seeing specialists in Owen Sound.
In October 2023, I fell ill again, losing mobility and struggling with daily activities. Despite multiple ER visits for UTIs, it wasn’t until November that a urologist was consulted. By then, I had infected kidney stones and was again on the verge of sepsis.
After being informed of my history of stents calcifying, the urologist took some precautions, but further issues persisted. By December 2023, I underwent another surgery to address the remaining stones and stent. Given my limited mobility, my husband had to assist with stent removal at home.
In June 2024, during a routine check-up, I was told that while I had several stones that needed removal, the situation was not urgent, and I was scheduled for stone removal in September.
On July 18, I had to rush to the ER with blood in my urine. Despite no signs of infection, I was found to have a blockage and needed immediate surgery. This led to another delay as I had to deal with a major infection, resulting in a stent being placed for a second time.
Interestingly, there was a lack of communication between the ER and the surgery team, as they were unaware of the treatment I had already received. Given my history, waiting until September for the stent removal was problematic, and I sought help from a doctor in Orangeville, who performed the necessary surgery on August 6.
My experience raises several concerns:
Poor Communication: There is a significant lack of coordination between healthcare providers, leading to confusion and delays in treatment.
Delayed Care: Essential procedures are not being scheduled in a timely manner, exacerbating patient suffering and increasing risks.
Inadequate Management: Given my history, proactive and timely intervention was not provided, leading to avoidable complications.
I urge you to advocate for reforms to address these issues. Improving communication between healthcare providers, reducing wait times for critical procedures and enhancing care coordination are crucial for better patient outcomes.
Thank you for considering my concerns. I hope you will work towards meaningful improvements in our healthcare system to better support patients in our community.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, I look forward to a response.
Sincerely,
Martha Weavers
Owen Sound
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Owen Sound Current and its editor or publisher.