The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world.
Despite this massive spending, the American healthcare system is far from the world’s best. In fact, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the country’s health outcomes “are not any better than those in other developed countries,” and the U.S. “actually performs worse in some common health metrics like life expectancy, infant mortality, and unmanaged diabetes.”
Part of this may be down to the treatment of the country’s medical professionals. While doctors and nurses in the United States can receive substantial wages, they must also deal with the high price of American medical school. A recent med school graduate has around $200,000 of debt, on average. Once they actually land a job, they can be overworked, mistreated, and working in hospitals that are understaffed, as many internet users have noted.
Given these workplace issues, it’s understandable that one can expect a significant wait time while in the hospital. However, some just don’t have time to wait, as TikTok user Stei (@steyeuh) recently shared in a video with over 198,000 views.
@steyeuh ♬ original sound – stei
In the video, Stei says that he’s been waiting for a nurse for a half hour. He then shows himself pressing a call button for a nurse, but no nurse arrives. Eventually, he just gives up, getting dressed and leaving the hospital.
“I came here for medical assistance, not just to lay down,” he says at the end of the video.
In an email to the Daily Dot, Stei offered a little more backstory.
“They never told me how long I would have been waiting for, and I had already been checked in for a little over an hour,” he explained. “After sitting there in complete silence with not even a nurse to come and ask how I was doing, I got fed up and left.”
In the comments section, many users noted the potential issues that could come about given the lack of attention Stei claims to have been given.
“Now wht if it was a emergency,” asked a user. “They jus letting it beep.”
However, viewers in the comments claimed that this experience was relatively common.
“Literally that happened to me,” said a commenter. “I had to get up and start yelling in the place.”
“This was me when my nurse wasn’t taking me seriously,” added another.
“I was waiting for hours,” recalled a third.
“Me and my fiancé almost left before getting discharged after having our baby bc why they make us wait so long for a paper,” recalled an additional TikToker.
Some tried to offer reasons as to why Stei didn’t receive care.
“Most times we only have one doctor in the whole ED! Sometimes a PA + MD,” stated a user.
“Everyone is laughing but ts is v serious. i don’t blame nurses tho they are understaffed,” offered a second. “The hospitals are to blame.”
