Houston Methodist Hospital was established in 1919 during the height of the Spanish Influenza epidemic. My sister is undergoing cancer treatments at this facility. She wrote of her experiences in the midst of the current Coronavirus Pandemic. This is her account:
Today was round 7 of my immunotherapy treatment at Methodist Hospital, a branch of the same hospital that took care of George and Barbara Bush when they lived in Houston.
I was apprehensive about entering the hospital and possibly exposing myself to COVID-19. I prepared for my appointment with a tote bag containing clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and paper towels. Upon entering the hospital I encountered several healthcare workers dressed in complete protective gear.
They took my temperature and asked if I had recently traveled outside the country or had contact with anyone who tested positive for the virus. I passed those tests and walked inside up to two rows of tables 6 feet apart. The seated nurses asked where I was going and motioned for me to put on a green paper wrist band. I then walked over to the infusion center.
Once I was let through the doors everything looked like business as usual. I didn’t sign in at the desk like I usually do but was told to sit in the waiting room. There was another person in there so I took a seat as far away as I could. Maybe 3 feet if that. My infusion nurse greeted me and took me to get weighed.
I made a mental note when I touched the hand rail to step up on the scale. Then I went to my room and wiped down the arms of the chair , the tv remote and the side table with a wipe. Next I sanitized my hands. While the nurse accessed my port I asked why no one was wearing a mask.
She said “We don’t have enough. We can’t wear the same one all day because of cross contamination.”
One of the best hospitals in the country. “We don’t have enough.”
This is my reality.
Is it the Cost?
It is not the cost. The masks and other PPE items have always been cheap. It is just that we don’t have enough on hand. The President balked on the price of ventilators at $18k per unit. I found that to be an ironic comment considering that the 59 Tomahawk missiles ordered launched from Mar-A-Lago cost $1.4 Million each. Price is not the problem. Demand and hording is the problem.
Our priority now is health, it should have always been about health. Let’s make masks and other PPE items and crank out some ventilators. We can do it!
The Heroes
Governor Cuomo made the comment that this Pandemic will forge our character. It will bring out the best and worst of who we are.
https://youtu.be/Ccx4gyXzzwU
Price Gouging Bastards
Sadly some people have no problem cashing in on the crisis. For example Kimitech, a third party seller on Amazon was selling a box of procedure masks for $59.99. This prompted this great negative review. Subsequently the price dropped to a more realistic $13.89 but who would want to do business with a “Price Gouging Bastard” anyway. There are other examples of this. Re-watch the Rising Up Across America and be inspired… and wash your hands (if you can find soap).
