It’s happened twice now in 10 months. Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminister reached capacity on Tuesday and temporary beds had to be set up in the hallways. Back in March, 2011, the Vancouver Sun reported that patients were were being put on stretchers in the Tim Hortons. Hospitals being pushed to the max is nothing new in B.C. (or Canada for that matter), but having patients in beds in places where you usually enjoy a double double is, and it’s not an ideal situation to say the least.
It’s a good bet that overcrowding like this is going to happen again in the not-too-distant future. So, what can a individual do themselves to avoid adding to overcrowding in British Columbia’s hospitals?
Likely the best thing to do is to avoid visiting the hospital at all by preventing yourself from injury.
After all, Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of British Columbians between the ages of 1 and 44 (Preventable.ca). According to 2004 data, “Preventable injuries cost each person in BC $665 per year“.
Lack of beds is common complaint about B.C.’s hospitals, and with each bed comes a cost. The financial costs of preventable injuries could be spent on new hospital beds or other areas that could benefit the health of British Columbians. Not becoming a patient in the hospital not only helps your heath, but can possibly help the health of others.
What do you think about the cost of preventable injuries? Have you made changes to your attitudes or habits to avoid personal injury and becoming a further drain on our health care system?
