If things just were easy....

I tried my luck and went to local health center to get the HIV test out of the way. On the paper that procedure is really easy: walk in to local health center, say what you need, walk to laboratory where they take a bit of blood for the test and then you are ready to leave. The next step would be to wait for the results for a while and that's it.

Today, things weren't that easy. I went to my health center (because University students health care is on summer vacation), walked in to information desk, explained what I am after. So far, so good. Except they directed me directly to the lab, which apparently isn't okay. In there I saw 2 nurses talking together on another info desk. I waited for my turn (I was the only person in the waiting lobby) patiently. After a while my number was called and I went to see the lab lady. Well, could she then take the test? No, of course not because they need to have referral from another nurse so that they know what they are testing. I said I want to get myself tested for HIV. Still, I needed to go and see another nurse to get that referral...

Well, not a problem I thought. There were basically no patients at all in the whole building - at least I didn't see any. Just tens of nurses. Well, I walked up to another info desk (other section in the same building) and explained that I needed the HIV test. The nurse said that unfortunately that is something that they can not do at the moment, because the whole health center is now dedicated to swine influenza patients! They said, that I should reserve an appointment by phone on Monday. They couldn't do that from this center, because apparently it was too late for that (it was about 12:30 p.m.) and it seemed that the nurse didn't even know where to direct me. This raises a couple of questions in my mind:

- Why wasn't that said to me when I first walked in to info desk?

- Why didn't anyone tell me that while I was in the lab?

- What was so difficult of taking that damn test when I was in the lab?

- Why there wasn't any mention about this issue on the webpages of the health care center?

- And why on earth it wasn't possible to give me the referral to HIV test to another health center for next Monday?

Seriously, I saw about 5 nurses and some laboratory people just sitting around in the laboratory section. I bet that they could have taken and analyzed my test really quickly there. It's not that they were busy doing something else... Well, I guess I will have to call around on Monday then.

End of rant.