My dad could still be alive, but he's not

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Authority, Obedience, and Deadly Advice

  • Many relate the story to disasters like the Sewol ferry and Grenfell fire, where people followed official “stay put” instructions that turned out fatal.
  • Several emphasize that we’re cognitively wired to obey perceived authority (dispatchers, fire services, public health), even when our senses suggest otherwise.
  • Others caution against simple “never trust authority” lessons, noting hindsight bias and that generic guidance is often statistically correct, just not in every edge case.

Ambulance Reliability and System Constraints

  • Multiple commenters ask whether 30+ minute ambulance delays are common or a sign of deep systemic failure.
  • EMTs and medics describe how response time depends on call volume, staffing, geography, and whether nearby units are already committed. Even “good” systems produce long waits when Y > X (calls > units).
  • Some highlight that dispatchers may lack real-time ETA visibility or be constrained from advising self-transport due to liability.

Toronto / Canada / Other Health-System Issues

  • Several cite data showing Toronto ambulance shortages, rising response times, and hours per day with <10% of units available.
  • Broader Canadian commentary blames chronic underfunding, mismanagement, rapid population growth, and provincial–federal cost shifting; others argue it’s less about money and more about structure and governance.
  • Parallel complaints arise from the UK and parts of Australia: long ER waits, delayed ambulances, and closures despite high taxes and “universal” care.

Liability, Bureaucracy, and Medical Practice

  • Some argue official scripts are optimized to minimize legal risk, not always patient outcomes.
  • Others push back as “conspiratorial”, but several doctors/insiders note malpractice risk clearly shapes behavior (e.g., overprescribing antibiotics).
  • A long subthread debates incompetent or unethical doctors, reinstatement after research fraud, and whether dishonesty in research should disqualify clinicians.

When to Wait vs Drive Yourself

  • There’s no consensus.
    • Pro–wait: Ambulances bring skilled care, defibrillators, drugs, and prioritized ER entry; driving with a deteriorating patient (or while having a heart attack yourself) can be lethal.
    • Pro–drive (in some cases): If the ED is very close and response times are known to be poor, driving may beat waiting, especially for heart attack or stroke. Some commenters say they would always drive for those two if the hospital is ~10 minutes away.
  • Several note that outcomes also depend on getting into the right hospital (e.g., cath lab) quickly, and self-transport may be triaged as “less urgent” on arrival.

First Aid, Aspirin, CPR, and AEDs

  • EMTs stress the importance of: rapid recognition; early aspirin (if no contraindications); limiting exertion; high-quality CPR; and rapid defibrillation.
  • There’s discussion of evolving guidance: some sources now caution against “just take aspirin” because an aortic rupture would be worsened. Protocols differ.
  • Many urge readers to learn CPR, recognize heart attack/stroke signs, keep aspirin at home, and consider an AED in high-risk households.

Volunteer and Alternative Response Models

  • Examples from Melbourne and rural North America show community first responder organizations and fire departments often beating ambulances to scene, offering aspirin, oxygen, CPR, AED usage, and triage upgrades.
  • These efforts partly exist because official systems are visibly overloaded.

Trust in Government, COVID, and Preparedness

  • One thread links this tragedy to general erosion of trust in institutions: COVID masking/vaccine messaging, lab safety, and “performative” policies are debated fiercely.
  • Some say most public-health guidance was broadly correct; others highlight policy overreach, inconsistency, and politicization as reasons to be more skeptical.
  • A more radical line claims the state’s primary goal is self-preservation, not public welfare, so individuals must assume more responsibility for their own risk planning.
  • Several conclude by urging people to: know local response times, identify nearest ER with appropriate capabilities, and pre-plan what they’d do in time-critical scenarios.