Toronto General Hospital — Local services in Toronto

The worst hospital staff I have encountered. 12 hours in emergency to be told I have to have Gallbladder surgery the same night...As I am finally given a bed I'm told I won't be operated on until two days which would be Tuesday August 7. I'm now in my room in pain and hungry told I also can't eat or drink anything until surgery. So that's two days. I'm in bed with no gown no reassurance as to what's really going on, to then be called by a porter to bring me to OR. Well I have not been given a gown to change or a bag. to put my belongings in. So unfortunately I was rushed to get changed and the porter was so upset that they had not received the message to come and have me ready for surgrry. The two nurses said they did not receive any word on what to do with me. I was told by the porter to leave my panties on and take the rest off. I did as I was asked. As I'm getting my gouwn on the doctor comes and marks where he's going to cut me open and I go down to be operated on. As I'm in or I'm not seeing the doctor just these other ones and I wake up sort of in recovery and my horror of a stay begins. The nurse taking care of me out of the operating room was very kind ,but then she left and I was at the hands of a very reckless Rn all I know is I was thirsty and I was asking if I could drink something and the Philippino lady Rn said no and left.She then turned her attention to the caucasian woman next to me and gave her ice chips she had previously had frozen for her from another floors kitchen. I'm disoriented and feeling dry mouthed, I asked again and she then brought me mouthwash and sponges and a small cup of water. Well I did rinse my mouth out but confused as to why I couldn't drink anything and I was out of surgery ? After resting the same nurse came in and out another bag of morphine on my IV and I'm like whatever... I'm resting and I come to and go pee then I eat some more and start to feel nauseous so I ring the bell and the same nurse came bsck. I then told her how I was feeling and she stood and looked at me and said The IV is coming fast ok you be okay and I tried to feel better by doing the mouth rinse thing and nothing worked so I rang again and the same nurse came back. I told her I was feeling nauseous still and she then says annoyed well I guess you're high and I'm like high??? I'm not trying to be high I'm feeling sick and she like we'll I don't know and leave.Im so upset and confused and feeling like wtf just happened here? So I got up in all my pain i got up and I walked to the nurse's station and asked to use the phone to be discharged. Yes I was that hurt. So I call my older kids to wake them up to come for me and they weren't getting up so I then asked the nurse's if I can speak with the doctor and they said yes they'll call him. When this doctor Ling or Lin he was half asleep and was not interested in ethics issue with the nurse and me feeling nauseous. I'm looking at him rocking like as if he wasn't able to stand due to sleepiness. I asked are you sleeping did I interrupt your sleep or something?? He shrugged and nodded yes andasked me what the issue was after already telling him I said to him to just leave and go back to sleep. Before he left he says ms Walker did you want something for anxiety and I'm like wtf no!!! I'm not anxious I'm upset. He left and I sat in the chair in RM 409-1 and cried. That's all I could do. Then I watched the nurse's not come to tend to me until the blond nurse came back and I told her what happened. She said that nurse won't come to me again for the rest of the night and I didn't see her again. There's more I was given water finally and told I can eat soon as they get things ready for me... Well that never happened and I said screw this and went home and I'm going to report this to...

Having difficulty in climbing stairs my cardiologist send me to Toronto General hospital for an angiogram on January 24, 2014. Dr. Overgaard and his assistant was very caring and made me feel very comfortable before the angiogram. After the angiogram Dr. Overgaard gave me the news that I have no choice but to go for coronary bypass surgery at the earliest and he has already talked to the surgeon Dr. Terrance Yau.....

Dr. Yau met me at short stay ward. A soft spoken simple man, very caring and explained to me the pros and cons of a coronary bypass surgery and what is the percentage of failures. Gave me paper to sign. The date of surgery was fixed for February 4th 2014. Was scared stiff but a Google search of Dr. Terrance Yau made me confident.......

Initial experience at the pre admission clinic was horrible. Women behind the counter maybe from Trinidad or Guyana with seemingly south Asian ancestry was very rude for no valid reason other than maybe she did not like my face. The toilet was dirty and toilet seat with urine. Once out of the pre admission clinic reception, it was comfortable and I spend about 5 hours during which lots of test where done and I was filled up with lots of information.....

The day of the surgery, 6 A.M. I found that the staff all over was very friendly and caring. I was guided through all the pre surgery process by very experienced staff. I have to admit that TGH is very huge but very well organized institution. Everyone I met knew what they are supposed to do and well trained in their job. I don't remember when I lost consciousness and I don't remember anything that happened that day. Next day I was moved to a room where I stayed for 4 days before I was discharged. Doctor Yau checked on me and the nurses in the ward was very caring. The Head nurse and Mariam , the nurse during the day was very kind and took good care of me, even if she was upset sometimes when I kept on asking her for cold water. I do have to say that the night nurse, Alysa Leung was the best nurse who took care of me in TGH. It seemed that, for Alysa, selfless service was a devotion than a profession. She went out of her way to take care of patients. Even when I woke up in the middle of the night, buzzed her and asked for "Tea" she did not say NO, said she will try to get tea for me. Went and came back after sometime and told me there is no tea available now, made me feel that at least she tried......

I stayed in a private room for 4.5 days. The cleaning lady never bothered to clean the room or the toilet. Third day after complaining, she came and half halfheartedly cleaned the room. TGH does have a cleaning problem.......

Barring my experience in the pre admission clinic and cleanliness issue which I can afford to ignore, I have to admit that I had a wonderful experience in TGH. It is four months and I am in much better shape than I was before, thanks to UHN, and the efforts of people like Dr Terrance Yau, Mariam, Alysa and numerous other staff who took care of me during and after my...

Review of My Experience with Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital

Date of Experience: Monday, May 27th, 2024 Purpose: Iron-IV-infusion (MONOFERRIC®) for iron deficiency anemia to increase hemoglobin count prior to right knee replacement surgery.

On Monday, May 27th, I underwent an Iron-IV-infusion at Toronto General Hospital to prepare for my upcoming right knee replacement surgery scheduled for Friday, May 31st, 2024. The infusion process began promptly at 12:30 PM. Initially, a low dosage was administered for the first 20 minutes. Shortly after, a higher dosage of 200 mg was infused into my bloodstream over the course of about an hour.

Unfortunately, I did not notice the adverse effects of the infusion until my nephew pointed out that I was scratching incessantly. This skin irritation quickly escalated, spreading to my hands, arms, thighs, upper back, and legs. The itching was unbearable, leading to a rash-like appearance with hives that were flaky, dry, and scaly. Despite taking Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), the itching persisted and made it difficult to sleep.

On the day of my surgery at Toronto Western Hospital, May 31st, 2024, I reported the symptoms of my allergic reaction to the Iron-Infusion to the nurses and the anesthesiologist. Unfortunately, my concerns were dismissed, and no additional measures were taken to alleviate my discomfort. Upon discharge, I was still suffering from intense itching, and my repeated requests for stronger medication were ignored.

In desperation, I sought help from my Family Physician, Dr. Thomas Fung. He saw me on Thursday, June 6th, during his walk-in clinic hours. Dr. Fung provided exceptional care, displaying both sympathy and empathy. He noted my condition, including multiple hives and snake-like skin, and took immediate action. Dr. Fung conducted a full CBC (complete blood count), checked my vitals (which were normal), and prescribed Prednisone (corticosteroids) to be taken orally.

Thanks to Dr. Fung’s attentive care and appropriate medication, my condition improved significantly. The itching has subsided, and I feel much better. Dr. Fung's dedication and patient-centered approach remind me that there are still physicians who prioritize patient care over financial gain. His father, who was also a physician, instilled these values, and Dr. Fung has carried on this legacy with distinction.

I am grateful for Dr. Fung and his commitment to his patients. God bless both Dr. Fung and his father for their services as doctors in Toronto, Ontario.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Pros:

Timely initiation of the Iron-IV-infusion. Efficient walk-in clinic at Dr. Fung's office. Cons:

Inadequate management of adverse reactions at Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals. Lack of responsiveness from hospital staff regarding post-surgery complications. This experience highlights the critical importance of compassionate care and the need for hospital staff to listen to and address patient...