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The emergency department at the Ottawa Hospital\u2019s General Campus was ranked as having the longest wait times in the province last summer. Photo by Kayla Holmes.<\/p>\n
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When Taneeta Taljit first walked through the double doors of the emergency department at the Ottawa Hospital\u2019s General Campus, she was 18 years old.<\/p>\n
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\u201cMy case manager, at this point, felt it was probably safer for me to be under more intensive care. So she escorted me to the hospital.\u201d With her case manager from the Canadian Mental Health Association at her side, Taljit went through the typical triage process quickly.<\/p>\n
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After Taljit was triaged, she was assessed by a nurse, prioritized, and finally moved through the winding hallways of the hospital, guided by small purple dots lining the floor.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThey bring you to a small holding area. You\u2019re in a room and there are no windows, you share walls with a bunch of other people, there\u2019s one communal bathroom, and there\u2019s nothing to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s an official name for it. We just called it limbo.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A small sign points towards the Psychiatric Emergency area at the Ottawa Hospital\u2019s General Campus. Photo by Kayla Holmes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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That was in 2016. Not much has changed since.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, in 2019, emergency room wait times in Ontario have reached <\/span>a record high<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Ottawa Hospital is worse than most Ontario hospitals, with the General Campus ranked as having the longest emergency room wait times in the province, <\/span>according to data<\/span><\/a> from Health Quality Ontario.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Mental health patients are uniquely impacted by the increased strain on hospital space and capacity, waiting longer and failing to receive adequate psychiatric care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Further, these patients face being dismissed as seeking medication or attention. Hospitals, too, may not have proper response mechanisms for their specific circumstances, which can lead to neglect and, occasionally, unnecessary harm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201climbo\u201d to which Taljit was sent in 2016 is dedicated to Psychiatric Emergency Services. The windowless rooms and lack of activities are part of an effort to ensure the area is secure and offers low stimulation for patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For many patients, though, it feels more like a cell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Taljit has seen the ins-and-outs of many psychiatric facilities in Ottawa. Still, she said her worst experience dealing with the system was with the Psychiatric Emergency Department.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.0.6″ custom_margin=”-39px|||||” custom_padding=”20px|||||”]