When Melvin Marchewka was admitted to Prince George Regional Hospital on Aug. 16, he did not expect to spend 26 hours in agony on a stretcher, lying in his own urine.
Marchewka suffers from spinal fibrosis, a condition which causes him pain and leaves him with limited use of his arms and legs. On good days he can walk with a cane or walker, but often he is restricted to a wheelchair.
When his back pain got unmanageable on Aug. 16, he called an ambulance and was admitted to the emergency ward.
“I was in and out of consciousness all night. They were trying to tell us they had no time for me,” Marchewka said. “They (hospital staff) were texting at night and talking about personal stuff. If they were so busy, why did they have time to talk about personal things … most of the night? I didn’t ask for anything special, I just needed care.”