Just yesterday I was somewhere (in the middle of nowhere, practically, quite far from home) when one of our number felt chest pains and numbness in his arm (having previously had by-pass surgery/etc, so very familiar with what it all possibly meant[1]) and he called for an ambulance. He got a rapid responder arriving within ten minutes, from who-knows-where but obviously within handy driving distance. Meanwhile we were also told where to find a nearby emergency defibrillator on the wall of a nearby community building (and the code to extract it, which I did myself, just in case, replacing it unused once the responder had arrived with his own full pro-kit to cover just about almost every eventuality) and not too long after that an actual paramedic-crewed ambulance turned up. I helped in the early stages, insofar as I could without getting in the way of everyone else there already who could help (and then the 'professionals') and the organisers of the occasion of our meet-up. Then it seemed wiser to leave them all to it.
I suspect the individual concerned was later taken off to the nearest A&E (I really don't know, though he initially thought he would, then transfered to his own local hospital if it was deemed necessary), whilst the organisers were left to deal with making sure his car wasn't left 'abandoned'. Wasn't my place to stick my oar in, by that point. I imagine we'll ask/learn more about it all after a decent time for things to resolve, one way or another, and we continued on with the rest of the day as the most practical thing left to do.
But one thing I'm fairly sure of is that it won't have cost him much (medically... maybe out-of-pocket expenses and the kindness of others taxiing him/his vehicle around the place outwith the ambulance ride(s)...), and certainly not US$265 dollars, give or take discounts/overcharges. Not even sure that'll even be the incident-cost on the NHS/ambulance service. Possibly the First Responder (likely a part-preimbursed volunteer, with extensive paramedic background/training) might claim mileage-related expenses and whatever he does as a 'civvie', in-between call-outs, would have to be postponed for the duration. But even adding fuel, wear'n'tear, any actual oxygen/medication rendered... I doubt it reaches GB£210-ish above general 'standby' costs, either. And the gods know that even medical wages aren't that high, hence why the recent calls for pay-rises and more staff on rota across the various health-professions. Not that the 'constant costs' ought to be borne only by the unlucky 'customers' who invoke their attendance and attention, to bring them off any standby they might otherwise be on, and I'm fairly darn sure the per-incident ones tend to get absorbed into the same pot.
[1] Whereas I'vd had a numb arm, before, but put it down to the crux of my sleeve/rucksack strap being too tight/wrongly positioned, easily solved by a bit of adjustment and waving the arm around. And those twinges in my chest area (even over towards the heart) could be strains. I've never bothered to pester any doctor about them, nor has any doctor suggested that I need to keep a more cautious mindset about me about such 'clues'. Maybe LW/somebody would suggest otherwise, of course, as a remote diagnosis with plenty of cautionary caveats... But it's not like these things happen after walking up hills, more like when sat down awkwardly (really never at all at the top of a hill, more likely when I'm perched awkwardly on a bench by the river or even my sofa at home), so excuse me if I suggest that it's an external physical 'clothing issue' rather than internal physiology.
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Topic: AmeriPol thread (Read 4435836 times)