Dear Editor,
March 14, 2026
I am writing to express my concern about the experience I had tonight at the emergency department in Antigua. I arrived seeking medical care after experiencing dizziness and weakness following several days of very heavy menstrual bleeding. Like many patients who come to the emergency room, I was worried about my health and hoping to receive timely evaluation.
After being triaged, I waited for several hours while feeling unwell, dizzy, and uncomfortable in the waiting area. While I understand that emergency departments must prioritize patients based on the severity of their conditions, the experience raised concerns for me about how the system feels for patients who are not in immediately life-threatening situations but are still genuinely unwell.
During my wait, I observed situations that made the process appear inconsistent and discouraging. Seeing other individuals seemingly receive faster access to care created the impression that the system may not always feel fair or transparent to patients sitting in the waiting room. Whether or not there are valid clinical reasons behind these decisions, the lack of communication can leave patients feeling overlooked and frustrated.
My intention in writing is not to criticize the hardworking healthcare professionals who serve our community. I recognize that emergency departments are often understaffed, overburdened, and dealing with difficult circumstances. However, I believe there is room for improvement in how patient expectations are managed and how communication is handled during long waits.
Simple measures—such as periodic updates, clearer explanations of the triage process, or providing more support for patients who feel unwell while waiting—could go a long way in helping people feel cared for even before they are seen by a doctor.
Healthcare is one of the most important services in any society, and patients should feel confident that their concerns are heard and respected. I hope that by sharing my experience, it may contribute to a conversation about improving the patient experience in our emergency departments.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Patient
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I completely agree, they need a better communication system n the nurse can be a bit more careing and supportive to the patients n concerned family members of these patients
It would have been complete if you told us about your outcome having noted the difficulties you had. Did the doctor apologize for the long wait? Were you satisfied with the final outcome? Or did you walk away in frustration?
Valid points. It would have been complete if you also told us about the outcome. Did you walk away in frustration? Were you eventually seen? Did the doctor apologize for the long wait? Were you satisfied with the medical treatment? On the inside did you see patients seemingly as ill as you or worse?
@A Concerned Patient. Welcome to the emergency room experience!
I spent almost 4 hours in a London hospitals emergency room last year waiting to be treated after a fall while years earlier, a cousin of mine spent several hours in a large hospital in New York waiting in pain to be treated for a broken ankle. She said that experience and what she witnessed was one of the most chaotic experiences of her life. While the level of care is much better in the UK and US, the ER waiting time experiences are basically the same as MSJMC. It happens.
A lot of people who go to the ER don’t need to be there but the nurses are not going to tell you that. You’re just going sit for a looooong time. There are several community clinics scheduled to have doctors on a daily basis. We should use those for medical none emergencies and try to avoid the ER except in case of genuine emergency. Call your district nurse if you are not sure whether or not you are experiencing an actual or potential emergency. Each village is SUPPOSED TO have a district nurse midwife and a community health aid. Also, we need to educate ourselves about our own bodies. We leave our health too much in the hands of others. Hope this helps.
I so understand your frustration. This is something everyone who visits the ER experience.
However this is what ER is all about. I had to vitit the ER in New York years ago, I had a bladder infection. Just imagine going to the bathroom to pee every 2 minutes because your body is trying to fight the infection and it burns like CRAZY everytime, yet being told there are more serious emergencies. What torture I went through but again, that is the ER.
What I think is the solution is to have at least several clinics opened 24-7. Have nurses and Doctors available for individuals to see. If an individual shows up there and it is more serious, then they can refer them to the hoapital. Because the problem is we have nowhere else to go during the night.
I agree with you 110%.This issue needs to be addressed immediately.The health care system in Antigua is one of the worst someone can experience.Some of these health care personnel are Lock of compassion for others.
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