The 11th of November 2021 I had a bike accident at the roundabout to Praia da Rocha Marina. After being dragged in to the side by my husband, 2 cars stopped and stayed with me, covered me with their jackets, until the ambulance came half an hour later. Thank you very much.
The ambulance drivers were very professional and kind.
After 8-10 hours in the Urgencia I got x-rayed my shoulder and later a scan of my hip. Thank You. The shoulder 2 cracks and pelvis 1 crack. Somebody said that I did not need an operation.
2 days after I was still in my bloody jacket and hands.
The Doctor, I suppose, said that I could also go home and recover there, which would probably take 3 days. I said yes please. Then somebody came back and said I was not eligible to have an ambulance to take me, and I could not sit in a car. Can anybody explain to me, why I was not eligible? I am a long-time resident in Portugal pay income tax, have numero de utente, get my vaccinations etc.
Going to the toilet was not possible, so I had the bedpan a couple of times. Unfortunately they forgot the last time to take it away again. And the pain of half an hour riding on top of it took its toll. The about 20 people passing along by bed totally ignored my cry for help. I had to slide it away myself, and unfortunately spilled some on the sheet. I was crying with pain, calling and finally a girl came and said why I was behaving like that. A man in a white coat black hair, not quite young, was helping now to change the sheets. Next to me 4 young boys were treating a woman for something, laughing their heads of and joking. She silent. I felt like explaining the situation why I had been calling out because of the pain. The white coat said : it is better that it is your pain than ours. The four boys were now finished and gathered around my “naked“ bed, all laughing. I had been getting along in Portuguese until now (probably better than my English), which I speak quite well but could not find the word “humiliating” which I now said: I find this quite humiliating. The white coat man now exploded and scolded me, if I could make up my mind to speak English or Portuguese, and “welcoming” me to the National Portuguese Health System. All laughing. He dressed me in a diaper and denied me any more clothing beneath, but on my insistence I got my bike trousers as well.
Nobody could come into the hospital of course because of Covid, but my husband outside all day was told a doctor would come and talk to him. Nobody came.
Now my husband and friends got in action, and a friend’s neighbour was driving an ambulance, they came the next day, and 6 friends carried me to the 3rd floor at home.
After 5 weeks in bed - not 3 days - I am learning to walk again and training the shoulder. X-ray at Alvor private hospital confirms that I will be ok again in time.
I realise that the salary probably is low in Barlavento, and that they are very busy at Urgencia. Although not always, sometimes it sounded like a chicken farm. This does, in my opinion, not excuse the brutal treatment from some employees to some of the patients.
