Raed Arafat, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, was present at the launch of the newly established ER department at the Alba Iulia hospital and remarked that it is „of top quality,” akin to those in developed nations, underscoring that patients need to realize that such a department is not „a medical fast-food,” where one merely waits for five minutes.
„I wish to emphasize that what I observed is of the highest standard. It is an emergency unit resembling those in highly developed countries. However, it must be recognized that we have not launched a medical fast-food. This is not a venue where you simply walk in, expect everything to be ready in five minutes, and leave as if purchasing a sandwich at a fast-food outlet. You will wait here, and there is a rationale behind the waiting,” stated the head of DSU, as reported by Agerpres.ro.
He further noted that, initially, the patient undergoes triage for classification, as cases have different priorities.
„Prioritization does not follow a first-come-first-served basis. Priorities are determined by the seriousness and possibility of deterioration of the case. Additionally, once you are admitted and assessed, there are tests and evaluations that require time. You might need a CT scan, which may not be urgent, possibly requiring a wait of half an hour. An X-ray may be needed. Blood samples will be taken, and the analysis results are awaited. A specialist consultation might be necessary. These factors contribute to the wait time, but that does not imply the patient is overlooked, disregarded, or unsupervised,” clarified Raed Arafat.
He pointed out that the waiting period is an inherent aspect of this system.
„It cannot be eliminated entirely, but it can be minimized and enhanced,” Raed Arafat concluded.
The DSU leader commended those engaged in the initiative that upgraded and outfitted the UPU department of the Alba Iulia County Emergency Hospital with state-of-the-art technology, through a 2.5 million euro funding.
„It operates at a very high standard, an emergency reception unit that complies with national regulations and also aligns with the standards observed in other countries possessing sophisticated emergency medical systems. The spaces are more spacious, there is increased capacity and equipment. The operational method will be significantly safer for patients,” he added.
