Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Teen put on fast track for care
A 16-year-old who had suffered head pain and temporary loss of eyesight when he tried to stand will not have to wait a year to see a neurologist after all, his mother said Wednesday.Tyler Oliver, a Grade 10 student at St. James Collegiate, has missed three and a half months of school since coming home Feb. 13 suffering from dizziness and a headache.
His mom, Debbie Oliver, said the family had been trying to get Tyler to a neurologist since the beginning of April. He was given an appointment for March 30, 2010.
But after the Opposition raised his case in the legislature on Tuesday, Health Minister Theresa Oswald met with Tyler's mother, who had come to the Legislative Building that afternoon to watch.
On Wednesday afternoon, Debbie Oliver received a phone call from an official at Children's Hospital.
"I have talked to the head of pediatrics ... and they are looking at admitting him now," a relieved Oliver said minutes later.
"She stated that she's going to be contacting my pediatrician again to get him to complete all the admitting paperwork, and then she was going to phone me back," Oliver said.
Tory health critic Myrna Driedger, who raised the matter in the legislature, said Wednesday it was "very disappointing that it took three and a half months and a lot of hard work by the mom" before any action was taken.
"Tyler was falling through the cracks (in the health care system), and if his mom hadn't been such a strong advocate and fought passionately for his child, who knows what would have happened?"
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 4, 2009 A6
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4 Comments
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Posted by: Natalia
June 4, 2009 at 11:39 PM
Our health care system out here is such a joke!!! The doctors don`t seem like they have the first clue as to whats going on!! Its pretty bad she had to resort to this in order to recieve help!!
Posted by: HMK
June 4, 2009 at 1:06 PM
The fact that this mother had to go to the press in order to get timely care speaks volumes about the substandard health care being offered in this province.
Posted by: CeeCee
June 4, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Interesting how Oswald will state after the fact that this is unacceptable. Did you not know Ms. Oswald, that your portfolio of health care is an absolute disaster? Are you not tracking wait times? Because I have seen a wait times task force office at 300 Carlton St. Don't give us lip service all the time. Suddenly when the media gets involved this boy gets care. What about all the others who ARE waiting for that March 2010 appointment? What a disgusting joke this system is. GET RID OF THE NDP AND FIX HEALTH CARE!
Posted by: morebs
June 4, 2009 at 8:29 AM
...thankfully a little [bad] publicity still works. Ms. Driedger intimates that somehow "cracks" [in the system] are responsible. Who created and maintains the cracks? Does a citizenry that elects people who put "party politics" before the commoon good have any responsibility?