United States — the only major industrial powers, did not accept the mandatory health insurance. 108 million Americans can not afford to go to the dentist. At 45 million Americans have no honey. insurance, including 10 million children.
Cook County Hospital in Chicago is known throughout the country and even, as they say, to the whole world. Open early in the century, as a hospital serving all residents of Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, he was known for his famous intensive care unit, where it is contacted local newspapers, magicians, doctors were able to return the lives of tens of thousands of people affected by the accident, accidents as well as, street fights, mainly on the south side of the city. Every day, in the intensive care unit of the hospital were brought in by police, people, mostly African American, riddled with bodies, knife wounds, collapsed jaws, etc., etc. In early 2003, it was crazy money for a new building of the hospital, after which all patients from the old, the huge building fanfare moved into a new, not quite as high, but supernavorochennogo, equipped with the latest in medicine.
In Cook County treated all patients, regardless of their status and the presence or absence of insurance, so for many thousands of residents of Chicago, Cook County was the only possibility to somehow improve their health, with full or partial absence of Finance. The law that the hospital agrees to accept all patients, was adopted after some ten years ago, right at the door of the hospital died a man who came to the hospital and said he was not feeling well, but he did not talk to anybody. «You’ve got to do to us in an ambulance, then we will treat you as well — I’m sorry, without insurance, we will not accept. Call an ambulance, let them bring you. » A man came out of the building and died right in front, and then in the city was a big scandal.
One day a friend of mine Nimaz badly cut his hand at work with a sharp knife (he worked in the kitchen at a Russian restaurant), opening a huge tin can, then, in order to save money, he turned for help to the Russian one paramedic, who for $ 60 taped to it wound plaster. A week later, revealing the band-aid Nimazu seemed that wound began to fester, and we decided to immediately go to the Cook County because of insurance at my friend was not and is not planned. We met on Monday afternoon and went to the hospital in my car. In the hospital we came in three hours of the day and immediately went to the office emergency. All subsequent events I’ll pass, strictly adhering to the chronology of bounds.
3.15pm
We go to the Department of emergency. In the great room, slightly reminiscent of the waiting room in a Soviet airport, set rows of plastic chairs where people sit, dozens of people. The crowd is clearly dominated by blacks and Mexicans, among those caught and white, mostly immigrants, mostly Poles and Yugoslavs, the Americans in the audience almost none. We go through a huge hall in the hospital lobby to the solid granite counter with an equally solid word «registration» and are attached to the tail of the queue. The queue is moving slowly at the front desk is a girl-nurse. After about ten minutes to rack suitable hospital worker — African American then turn starts to move faster, but not much .. Finally, we come to the counter and into the hands of African Americans cling Nimazu small plastic bracelet with a piece of paper stuck to orange, which launched a ballpoint pen number 180. «Your room 180, — a joyful reassuring tone informs African American — now is the 167th number so that will have to wait for long, just a few minutes. Come into the waiting room and you will be called by number.
3.45 pm
Have to wait long — the phrase bright spot is deposited in our minds. Already caused a 167 number and we — the 180th — spun in my head constantly.
We were in a huge waiting room and sat down on a bench in front of the door, where people came periodically. Every fifteen minutes from the nurse came out of the door with a bunch of some folders in his hands and called aloud the names of people, mostly two or three names at a time, sometimes as soon as four or five names. At times, from the same people out the door, more like doctors and also shouting out names, and then, the people in the waiting room, whose names were called, rose from their seats and were removed along with a nurse or doctor in an unknown direction. Finally, it is extremely rare to appear before the people a nurse called numbers instead of names. People whose numbers were called, just climbed out of their seats and disappeared behind the door opposite. I also noticed how people disappear behind a door on the incident some time out of the other door and somehow came back to the waiting room.
5.45pm
Flew two hours. During this time the nurse had time to call the numbers a dozen people, no more, the rest caused mainly by last name. In order to somehow kill time, we began to consider Nimazom sitting in the hall of audience, among whom were many very exotic characters. Particularly stood one thin African American, from head to toe dressed in biker gear, with hair, making it look like the star of Dutch football team Gullit. In the emergency hospital, he appeared with a completely swollen fractured hand, which was scary to watch — apparently he had just crashed at full speed with his Harley Davidson. African-American rocker talked all the time with some friends, his company was composed of African-Americans bomzhoidnogo species, which immediately made me suspicious — for some reason they seem to me regulars emergency department. At that time I did not even know that the closer to the night, waiting emergency Cook County Hospital in addition to its main purpose at the same time becomes a subsidiary of Chicago-based night shelter for homeless people. Time continued to run a few minutes of waiting, we were promised that an African American in the reception area, gradually turned into a three-hour, and there was no assurance that we now finally called.
6.45pm
Hooray! Our room was finally called. We both jumped up from their seats and rushed to the door, out of which the nurses and doctors. «You stay here — said to me, a serious-looking African-American in a white coat, if need be, we’ll call you.» «My friend does not speak in English,» — I made a half-hearted attempt to argue, but my attempt was unsuccessful. — If you give us will you require, you are called, — resolute tone brooked no argument, told me African-American in a white coat and then I retreated back to the waiting room.
Nimaz disappeared through a door that led into a small room where started the first stage of the flow of patients emergency room, unless, of course, do not take registration and issuance of a plastic bracelet. This room communicates with the second, larger room, which also conducted a separate door from the hall, where there was a reception of patients. In a small room for newcomers patients pressure was measured, and then the lazy nurse-something African-American woman to click on your computer and then send the patient to a large room, where he was his own little waiting room with a row of chairs, walking along the wall.
7.15
After half an hour I went to the door of the small waiting room through that door, which I mentioned, and found there Nimaza sitting on a chair. «They told me to wait here as long as I did not cause,» he told me, and together we waited, the more so because here no one is expelled. Putting it was a large room partitioned into six booths, each of which were installed computers, and from time to time there came a lazy nurse — African-American and started slowly vyklikivat something on their computers. Sometimes one of the nurses called out the names of patients: «Patient-so — Booth No. 6», after which the patient went to a booth where a nurse for a long time to enter any data into the computer. In addition to African-American nurses in the corner of the room at the table concocting a doctor, like a Filipino, at least I immediately identified him as a Filipino, who was also called out the names very loud tone of voice — so usually shout cats before they are going to cook in boiling broth. Strident tone and peculiar lisping accent made him look like an evil American Indian from the cartoon.
8.45pm
About us, as if everyone had forgotten, at least it seems to us that no one’s business. Unable to stand, I decide to finally take the initiative to get up from his seat and submit to the nurse first and then to the Filipino trying to figure out why there is no one cause. The waiting room endlessly carry some back and forth a man 60 years old in a wheelchair rocking with a full face red, his face gaunt men to the limit, it is clear that it is very bad. Back when we were sitting in a large waiting room, we paid attention to the man in the truck. Over the last three hours of his time to five times a ride from one corner of the room to the other.
9p.m
My initiative to take effect. «Nimaz Rimaz»-the entire Cook County Filipino cry rang and we rushed to the corner of the room, at a rate of stayers, launched at the final Olympic hundred-meter race.
«Wait here -, roared Filipino pointing the finger at him standing next to a chair and a cupboard somewhere vanished at once. After a while, he reappeared and began to conjure front of the computer, fixing his eyes on the display screen, which flashed beautiful multi-colored squares, trying to catch them in the blink of only one slave he mystical meaning. Finally, satiated with the contemplation of numbers, Filipino thundered: ‘You were here yesterday, why not show the doctor’s hand. » «He thought that his hand had healed, and therefore did not show, and he went to the doctor about the legs» — I sheepishly turned phrase Nimaza. It seemed that a Filipino I totally listened to his mind at this moment are in a completely different dimension. Conjured another ten minutes on her computer, Filipino Nimaza leaned his hand and abruptly tore off his hands sticking plaster, not even looking at it on the wound, and then again for fifteen minutes nuzzled his kompyuter.Dalee, Filipino, suddenly jumped up sharply from his seat and shouted, «Everything is now back to the waiting room and you will be called to the doctor.» With that, he ran off somewhere and did not appear for a long time more.
Which waiting room back? Which doctor should call us? An endless swarm of questions spinning in our heads without finding an answer.
10p.m.
An hour passed from the time we talked to the Filipino. About us long ago forgotten everything. We sat in the waiting stupid and it was not clear that it is unclear who and where we should have had this time to call, watching the local audience we were able to determine that after the odd-Filipino doctor, most patients return to a large waiting room, right in front of that they all had to go through the procedure of filling any data in the same room where he took a Filipino. And this time was for us the most confusing — should have us call the nurse to trek to the Filipino or after?
We were terribly hungry. In a large waiting room, we have noticed a small room in which it was found a few vehicles on sale soft drink, chips and other snack fuck. Near the back of the tiny room on wobbly bedside table were two greasy microwave, one to the other. The upper microwave did not work, and lean African American from the category of homeless people frantically Tyrkayte finger in the plastic cover, on which all this shaky pyramid tottered from side to side, like an earthquake. Lower microwave, fortunately it worked and we warmed up a pie with cheese and chicken. Fortified by a surrogate sandwich, we went back to the waiting room, where we took a Filipino. I finally broke down and went to one of the nurses African-American conjure front of the computer. «We were told that we cause to the doctor, but we are not calling anybody anywhere — I muttered sheepishly.» «And you have already registered nurse?» «What kind of registration? — I was surprised. — We already saw the doctor and said that we should call a doctor? «. «What kind of doctor you saw? — Asked an African-American. That one gentleman in the corner — I pointed to the corner where Filipino conjured. «What’s your name? — Asked an African-American. «Zamirov — this is my friend — I said, we’ve been here since three hours waiting for.» Conjured five minutes at the computer, African-American woman said, «You need to create a nurse before you are called to the doctor, go back to the your place and you will be called for registration. «Angry with those that have not taken immediately but at the same time, overjoyed by the fact that we were not forgotten after all, we’re back to a small waiting room, however, place our people have already won. Over the last two hours of the people in the small waiting room noticeably arrived and we are constantly transplanted from place to place.
11p.m
About Us seems to have completely forgotten. People are constantly called to the nurses who have long conjured near their computers by entering information into the database. Filipino meanwhile continued to run back and forth. Unable to stand, I jumped up and went to a large African-American woman showing the main among all nurses who were in the room. «We sit for two hours but we did not cause anybody anywhere, what is it? — I was outraged — We were told that we have to go through some sort of registration before we cause to the doctor, but we do not cause anybody anywhere. «» Two hours, — said in a lazy African-American woman — Today is Monday, what you want, people waiting for twelve hours. What is your name? — «Zamirov — I said, this is my friend, here it goes.» African-American began to click with the mouse and examine the computer screen. On the screen fled beautiful multi-colored lines. African-American woman stared at them just like a newborn baby looks at a slide rule — in her eyes could read the complete absence of any presence. Finally, ten minutes later, catching the right spot, it poiznesla important tone: «Well, now you’re registered. Embark on a large waiting room, the one where you come first, and wait until your name is not called, and not cause to the doctor. «» Cheers, — mentally I shouted, now we’re in the home stretch. We checked in and left to wait until the call our name. «Ahead — a meeting with the doctor and the long-awaited recovery from a terrible illness, in addition free. (By that time, incidentally, Nimaz by examining his wound, had already realized that it gradually started to heal and the fact that it was originally made for fester, was nothing but a rotted skin, whitish in appearance so that the alarm was in vain).
11.20.
We go back to the main waiting room, where we started the way and take a place in one of the rows, so that you can conveniently watch the audience in the hall.
11.45
We are very hungry. I again sent into the closet with vending eatables to buy a can of vegetable juice. In the closet is unbearable stifling heat and constantly tolchetsya people. I’m trying to get through to the machine standing in the corner of the closet but access to it is blocking me back homeless African-American, with an appetite for devouring beans from a can, which he perched on wobbly bedside table on which there are two microwaves. «Excuse me, I need to go to the car, and I do not know how to use it.» Homeless man turns out to be extremely polite and friendly. He shows me how to use the machine. Pulling jar of juice I retire and go back to his place with gusto tsedya juice from metal cans.
12.00
It is midnight. In the waiting room accumulates a huge mass of people. Watching the inhabitants emergency room, we gradually begin to capture the secret side of the life of this institution, coming to the conclusion that in the waiting room, in addition to these trauma patients waiting for a call to the doctor, there is a whole lot of interesting things unfolding before our own eyes, nor to everyone else’s life, gradually waiting room filled with local homeless people who use this place as a rooming house. Most of the homeless is quiet, sitting on the benches in different parts of the great hall, with the exception of one African-American in a strange headphones that constantly wanders back and forth across the room, making strange noises, like crows. It seems that African American suffers a special form of mental disorder. Proshlyavshis thus hour African American crows in headphones sits on the bench, a few rows behind us. At first, he sits quietly, but then begins to dress weird pretzel, yelling and loud banging their feet on the floor. At this point, is a harsh nurse — another African-American woman to read a list of names to call your doctor and hears the sound of strange. It takes a little forward, and saw a strange man, and stares menacingly at him, making the sign of the police. For the homeless, schizophrenic fit two grinning Ambala police — black, silent and withdrawn the offending outside the hospital without changing facial expressions.
From now on, for half an hour, the hall is a planned raid on the homeless. A pair of police officers covering a practiced eye of people are combing the room and trying to put homeless people at the hospital door. Most of all, they somehow cling to the very intelligent homeless person who ate the beans in a little room and told me how to use a vending machine with soft-drink. They take him by the scruff of the waiting room, but exactly a minute later, a homeless person reappears and matter-of-factly, sits almost on the same spot. One minute later, police appeared again, and the whole operation is repeated for the expulsion. Homeless throw, but exactly a minute later he reappeared, this time taking place in the next row. Once again, the persistent police calculate accident homeless and throw him out the door. The third time, there is a homeless person with a plastic bracelet on his wrist, as an officially registered patient but this does not stop the police. They re-evaluate it. Unhappy homeless shoves them a hand with napyalennym bracelet, but the police is even more exasperated. They rip bracelet with a bum hand and put an African American for the door. This is repeated two more times. After the fifth time police disappear this time until the morning, leaving the poor homeless, finally at rest, as well as all the other homeless people who filled the waiting room. Until the morning of the homeless nobody touches. It is possible that some of them are, in fact, officially registered for the appointment. Modern waiting room at Cook County Hospital emergency grants local homeless great opportunity to spend the night in a clean, warm and secure environment. I can only imagine what’s going on here in the winter.
2a.m
Two hours of the morning. She still wants to eat and sleep. Harsh Nurse African American to appear before every half hour, and vanished somewhere past one and a half hours to doctors in general no one called. It seems that the doctors in these hours and shift change occurred at that time no one was taken. The people in the waiting room while away the hours as best they could. Many were sleeping, someone bought the machine chewed chips. Unsinkable polite homeless African-American, whom police have not been able to throw out of the hall, there was in its place as a bird the phoenix, and again went into the closet to eat the beans. We decided to go out into the fresh air and take a walk to the nearest McDonald’s, but it turned out that within one mile of the hospital does not have a single point of fast food outlets. We had to go back empty-handed in its place. Nimaz decided to go into the closet in the microwave and cook a pack of popcorn. After an hour, half-eaten packet of popcorn, standing on a nearby chair was empty, stole a passing homeless African-American. Between the rows with patients all night pacing back and forth kind of skinny Mexican bandit-like soundtrack, and offered to buy the rest of the Mexicans for two dollars cheaper rings of a carton of its packaging. I drew attention to the fact that the Mexican nobody touched, the police on him did not pay any attention to all the nurses and he seems to have been bash to bash. By morning, incidentally, for the sake of curiosity, I looked to him in that same box as he walked past our series and found that most of the rings were sold — that’s right, he was making his nightly business.
Poor old African-American rocker with a broken arm, the one that looks like a star of Dutch football, reappeared in the waiting room, despite the fact that several times already been to the doctor, by the time the hand was even more swollen. Behind us were two young Mexia, one arm was bandaged bandages, and through the bandages could be seen as profusely bleeding. In front of us, near the wall, sat a large shapeless woman in torn clothes beside her, covered blanket, sleeping peacefully Mexican — a bum. Middle of the night in the hall was another strange vagabond-Mexican intelligent species in jeans, corduroy jacket and bow tie, in his hands he carried a bag of Mexican red skin on his feet he wore cowboy boots. It seems that this Mexican recently flew to Chicago, and at first decided zabomzhevat in Cook County Hospital. By morning, he quietly disappeared. Through the main door emergency department overnight on trucks imported some African Americans with bullet wounds — victims of night showdown. It seems to hit a single patient emergency, you do not have to wait in line. However, we do not envy them.
5.30am
All night all almost did not move forward. About once every forty-five minutes to the people coming out harsh nurse, an African-American, which immediately rushed to the plea exhausted long wait hundreds of views of patients, waiting with her appearance, perhaps even more hope than the appearance of Christ to the people. We were no exception to the rule. Every time she went out of the door, holding a folder with the chores, we are holding their breath, listening to the cacophony of strange names, where the names of African Americans are mixed with the names of Mexicans, Poles, Arabs, Indians, Yugoslavs and the rest of the Chicago International’s needy .
Alas, our hopes did not come true, the name Nimaza seemed forever dissolved in an endless pile of folders with the medical histories of patients. And now, I drew attention to the fact that most of the people who stood with us in the queue in a small waiting room, where taking a tireless Filipino disappeared and the long hall filled with new people. There was a feeling that our folder harsh nurse every time during the next exit to the people, especially the bottom of the stuffing packets and that in her choice of patients defined on the way out to the doctor, completely lacked any logic.
At that hour most of the waiting quietly dozing in their chairs. We were transferred to another row, close to the place where the harsh nurse read out the names that God forbid do not miss ours. To the right of us, one of the homeless African-American for nearly two hours with a gusto ate popcorn, which was falling out of his mouth and dry fountains scattered on clothing.
We began to lose patience.
6.30am
Once again, the people came out of the door the harsh African-American nurse with a bunch of cases. Three hours earlier, during the next exit, she promised the people that all will go faster in an accelerated program, however, then in fact it was immediately called a dozen people, and then all stopped at one point, seemed to have navsgda. We were standing at the ready. After she read once again the list of patients and Nimaza it has once again turned out, we immediately went to her and I, a timid voice, he began his speech. «We are sorry, — I said, but we’re sitting here 14 hours and give the impression that we were just forgotten. «What’s the name? — Quickly chop off my dreary tirade nurse. «Nimaz Zarimov — I replied. «You’re on the list is — strong, tone brooked no opposition said the nurse, wait and you will be called.
7a.m
By one o’clock in the hall there are two employees of the hospital and ask to transfer to one part of the vast halls — it’s time to harvest. Within ten minutes of a brand new plastic chairs scraped deposit empty bottles of Coca-Cola, cartons and paper wrappers. Suddenly, the hall re-emerge from the new police shift, with fresh forces are once again beginning to catch morning homeless people, which this time does not last long, and as a sluggish — by the morning most of the homeless have left the room emergency, therefore, particularly the police catch nobody. Out of the corner of my eye I note that the corridor towards the exit goes rocker with a bandaged hand — he finally put in plaster. From the old-tier guards we were alone — what injustice.
7.15am
We were called! Urrra-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah …….!!!!! Introduced with a thick stack of folders harsh African-American nurse named Nimaza name, at the very end, when the odds are almost no choice, perhaps, secretly knowing that if you do not call right now, something terrible will happen. «Follow me — is heard in the direction of the team huddled up close formidable presence nurse patients among them — Nimaz. Slow pace group goes after a nurse down the long corridor. «Thank God — I’m relieved to say, now you can get some sleep. My head tilted back against the wall, the eye slides over a white veil and I immediately forget in the morning slumber.
8.30am
I wake Nimaz. Slowly opening her eyes I see a confused Nimaza. «Well, I say — you finally cured, you can go home to sleep off.» What is there-cured, everyone forgot about me. I was taken to the ward to the doctors, planted on the bench and told to wait. I waited an hour and a half, but to me so no one came. It looks like everyone forgot about me. I tried to explain something to them, but they did not understand me and I followed you. Come on, you explain to them that we can not wait any longer what you need in the morning to go to work. » «E-me, only it still was not enough» — together we wandered on the morning of the famous Chicago hospital corridor towards the Chamber of the intensive care unit.
8.35
We are in the ICU ward. In the center of the huge chamber are tables with brand-new computers that sit thick African-American nurse, the edges of the Chamber made by the individual boxes-intakes for patients where doctors take the last. Doctors themselves from time to time come into the pits to patients, but for the most part stroll along the tables with the nurses, talking to young trainees passing in a hospital residency. We were nobody pays any attention. I go out to explore and, denoting a young man in a white coat ka doctor, I come to it. «We are here day forward, for we seem to have forgotten everything» — a phrase I begin. «So — cheerful tone meets a doctor, now look at how your name — conjures a young doctor at the computer. — Show-like hand — he says Nimazu — n-yes, you have to go and just in case an X-ray to make sure that the bone was not wounded. «» Do not I have wounded the bone — is responsible Nimaz. «All the same it is necessary to do an x-ray — it does not take much time. Here, you get out of this house, then down the hall to the right, then to the left — you will see the sign. Anything can go, I have your card sent there.
8.40am
We leave the house, we pass through another huge room, and went out into the corridor, we reach the radiology department, which consists of three rooms. In the first room on the left is a nurse with a computer desk, the truth itself is a nurse in the workplace is missing. In the room there is no one but us. We humbly pass into the second room, where there is one of the X-ray machines. Near the machine silently stands two doctors, one of whom, a bearded, middle-aged, very similar to that of Professor Freud. Doctors are completely silent, like a bud if performing a morning meditation session. Several times I try to talk to them but to no avail — they do not pay any attention to me. We go in the third, the farthest room, where there is another X-ray machine. In this room, I find one African-American woman in a white coat, or a doctor, or nurse. «And here we are, and this is my friend, he had the direction of the x-ray hands.» «Go back to the waiting room and you will be called — interrupts me mid-sentence an African-American.» We’re going back to the first room, where there are chairs and sofa. In the corner of the room is placed a box — a game for children and Nimaz within ten minutes of fun that using a magnet attached to the bottom of the box, move the figures in the sandbox. Suddenly, in the medical gurney wheeled into the room in which reclines motionless black, covered with white sheets and bandaged from head to toe. African-American, apparently brought with bullet wounds and were going to do an x-ray.
Having spent half an hour so I do not stand up and go back to find out what it was, why have no one cause. Caught in the second room, I note for himself that «Professor Freud» in a white coat continues to stand in the same position in silence — for the half hour that passed since I saw him last time, nothing has changed. I go into the third room, and once again trying to appeal to the African-American but it is and this time my breaks. «Go back to your seat and wait when you are called,» — says the passphrase African-American woman. I obey. In the meantime Nimaza starts a little bleeding at the wound and it is removed to a nearby house to ask for a piece of bandage. Five minutes later he comes back empty-handed — the bandage he did not want to give anybody. Going round the whole house, he turned to a nurse, Korean, and maybe Filipina, or even — a Chinese woman — personally I still distinguish them badly, and, for clarity, slipped his hand under her nose in the blood. «Bandages, bandages, give me a bandage, that is bleeding — poked his nose under her arm Nimaz. «I do not know what you’re talking about — and the nurse told him the bandage failed.
9a.m
Finally there is an African-American nurse from the department of radiology with a bouquet of yellow flowers. For ten minutes she pulls out with a friend on the phone, not paying any attention to us.
9.10am
Urrra-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Nimaza caused by X-rays, which took two minutes.
9.20.
We go back to the ward with doctors and nurses. In the House during this time, nothing has changed. The same lazy African-American nurse tortured their brand new computers, rare, doctors and a huge mass of male and female students interns around, for us as always — zero attention. We are trying to calculate the very doctor who referred us to the X-ray. Finally, we can do it. «How did X-rays, well done — nothing on x-ray, bone is affected, so it’s okay. Well, you go into boxing … so here we have this box free … yes, that’s here in the box number ten and wait for you to come to the doctor.
9.30
We whiled away the time in boxing, watching what’s going on in the House. Unexpectedly, the House breaks into a crowd of people, a dozen young trainees at the head of a physician instructor. «Well, then — the doctor, going to the Nimazu and taking his injured hand — well, sir, we are dealing with such a such-knife cuts, now how do I answer that you have to ask the patient to determine the degree of the cut, you have to check the depth of the wound, what to do, how to bend the fingers ….. it went. About fifteen minutes we watched with great surprise at how twisted and twirled interns Nimaza hand, answering questions and chef, as if the final examination at the university, ispolyuzuya his hand as a kind of visual aid. After each trainee on the mountain gave their in-depth knowledge in the field of cut injuries, the whole crowd left our box as quickly as entered. Only the chief doctor paused for half a minute on the way out and said, «So, what, now I’ll send you to the nurse, she will make a shot against tetanus, will wash and bandage the wound and you can then go» — saying this phrase, he udalisya.
10a.m
For half an hour we sit alone with Nimazom in the empty box. To us so no one came. Moreover, it seems, was not going to come. Thick-American nurse, who was sitting in front of the box, continued to sit Tyrkov hand into the computer and going through folders on the table, not paying any attention to us. The doctor, the one that came to us with a group of trainees, vanished forever in the endless expanse of office emergency, since then we have not seen him. Trainees were scattered around the ward, assisting another patient. About once again all forgotten. «Listen, maybe go home — told me Nimaz — and anyway, why do I need a tetanus shot, because I cut my arm more than a week ago.» «He told you that, just in case you need to get a shot because if, suddenly, begin infection, you can die.»
10.05am
Realizing that all of us have forgotten, I go up to the large nurse. «Excuse me, we’re sitting here and waiting, the doctor said that the nurse will come to us, make a shot, will process and bind the wound but no one came.» «What’s the name — grumbled nurse Tyrkov in computer keys. «Zarimov». Protyrkav couple of minutes keyboard, African-American woman said, «So that you have not yet made a shot? ‘» Let us in the last three hours of the day did not do anything at all «- we cried. «OK» — Head back to boxing, now I will come and do a shot — told us the thick African-American nurse, rising from his chair. From inside the box, we watched as the nurse went to the end of the House, took a syringe and a little box, and then went to the side of our box. Going into the box she made Nimazu shot, then not washing Nimazu hand squeezed the wound from a small tube of ointment and some are not bandaged hand wound taped two small pieces of adhesive tape, which she pulled from the general roll. On the whole procedure, including injection, it took two and a half minutes.
«That’s it, now you can go — we cheered African-American nurse. «Perhaps you will give me another band-aid» — timidly asked Nimaz. «We here in the House is nothing we can give, but I’ll write you a prescription with this recipe you need to go to the hospital and a free pharmacy where you queue to let go.»
10.20
Dumbfounded, we leave the intensive care unit and quietly wandered toward the pharmacy. The pharmacy is really the queue, we let go of a roll of bandages and sticking plaster.
10.35
We go out to the hospital parking lot Sook County at the house on my machine. End of story.
Summary.
Exactly 19 hours and 20 minutes it took us to get free medical care in one of the best hospitals in the world — Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Needless to provide free medical care — a shot against tetanus, application of ointment to the wound, followed by gluing wounds took two scraps of plaster — 2 minutes 30 seconds. Band-aid ointment and can be had for money to buy in any store Wallmart for $ 5.
Chronology of stay in the hospital I fixed the bounds and recorded in his notebook to the nearest minute
Isakov. 2003, Chicago, USA