A hospital in Canada has apologized after a staff member reportedly told an ER patient to lie down on the floor during a busy night.
A woman told the Ottawa Citizen she saw an emergency room patient at Ottawa Hospital beg for a place to lie down during a long wait. The person had injured his back and was vomiting, according to retired nurse Martina Campbell.
The hospital employee pointed to a spot on the floor, Campbell said.
Campbell told the Ottawa Citizen that she told the employee the man needed a stretcher. The hospital promised to look into the incident.
“We apologize for any misunderstanding or distress," the Ottawa Hospital said in a statement to the Ottawa Citizen. "We have also reached out to the patient to offer that apology, to explain that it was a busy night in our emergency department and that we regret the moment in which this incident took place.
“Our staff, including the staff member in question, take great care to manage the impacts of high occupancy and other pressures on patients. This moment is an opportunity to learn and improve for all.”
