My apologies to all my Swedish friends, but there are some things about the system that operates in this country that are REALLY messed up.
I don’t consider myself a placid individual–but I can keep my temper for the most part. However, the last week has sorely tested my temper-keeping abilities.
I am currently embroiled in a nightmare involving Carpark (possibly the most evil parking company in the world) and kronofogmydigheten. I am so angry at the way the situation is being handled by CarPark. I feel frustrated by the lack of recourse I have against this company. In the U.S., I would have several avenues in which to complain about the company–suing, reporting the company to the Better Business Bureau, or even the media. Here, I feel completely helpless.
And then there is the medical system. Sweden has great doctors. And I would appreciate those great doctors if I could actually see those doctors!!!!! Yesterday, Josef sobbed in agony for an hour because his ear hurt. He is actually on a waiting list to get tubes in his ears because his ear drums are not vibrating so he is not hearing properly. At our vårdcentral (doctor’s office) we cannot get an appointment scheduled for the next day. You have to call in the morning and pray that you manage to get a time. And when you finally talk to someone, they try and talk you out of coming. It only takes 5 minutes to look in Josef’s ears and then write out a prescription. Simple. Easy. But impossible to get a time anyway. We were told we had to wait until 5 p.m. to call the urgent care clinic. When we called them, it took them two hours to call back and book a time. The line was so long on the telephone that they wouldn’t even accept you in the line. It was terrible.
We finally got a time at the urgent care clinic and then the doctor wouldn’t even really do a proper examination. She said she couldn’t really see Josef’s eardrums because of the wax build-up. Well, there is a simple tool that most doctors have that can clean the ears very quickly. And then she tried to convince Brent that Josef really didn’t need anything because most ear infections just go away. Well, they do in some children. But some children need a little extra help. And Josef happens to be one of them.
It was frustrating to be treated condescendingly by the doctors and health professionals.
I know the U.S. medical system has its share of problems. But I never had a problem booking a time to see a doctor–especially in situations like this one with Josef. There is something to be said about having doctors run a sort of business. If they don’t help and take care of their patients, then they lose the patients and their income.
Okay, I’ll stop complaining. And I still have managed to bite my tongue from swearing. But it was hard.
