A 46-year-old woman in New Hampshire has expressed her disbelief after an alarming incident at an urgent care clinic left her locked inside the facility. Tia Chandler visited the ConvenientMD clinic in Keene on September 24 following an asthma attack and received a steroid injection around 7:45 p.m. local time.
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Chandler expected the staff to return after administering her treatment. However, as time passed, she grew increasingly anxious. “I was trying to give them some grace, knowing they were busy at the end of the day,” Chandler stated. Despite her efforts to remain calm, her unease intensified, especially as the clock struck 8:20 p.m., twenty minutes past the clinic’s closing time, and she found herself alone.
Realising she was trapped, Chandler attempted to open the door but inadvertently triggered an alarm system. In a state of panic, she called 999. “I poked my head out and called, ‘Hello? Hello?’ but there was no response,” she recounted. Feeling a surge of anxiety, Chandler hurried to the front of the building, hoping to find someone still on duty. To her dismay, the clinic appeared to be completely deserted.
Frantic, Chandler sent a text message to her husband, stating, “They locked me in. Call 999.” This terrifying moment unfolded as she experienced a worsening sense of dread. “I was panicking,” she admitted, describing how surreal the situation felt as it deviated from her expectations of a medical facility.
The situation prompted a swift response from the local police. The Keene Police Department confirmed they received a call about an alarm being set off at the clinic and dispatched officers to the scene. Fortunately, Chandler was soon found and her ordeal came to an end.
ConvenientMD has since acknowledged the grave oversight and extended their apologies to Chandler. “This incident should have never happened and does not reflect the quality of care we offer at our clinic,” stated a spokesperson for the urgent care chain. They assured both Chandler and the community that measures would be implemented to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
In a statement following the incident, Chandler expressed her intent to raise awareness regarding her experience. “It was shocking. I can hardly fathom it. I thought to myself, ‘They would never lock me in here!’ It seemed like something out of a movie, not real life,” she commented.
Documentation shared with local media included a message from the clinic manager, who assured Chandler that an investigation into the incident would be conducted. As of now, both ConvenientMD and the police department have not provided further comments regarding the assurances made post-incident.
This unsettling event has sparked conversations about patient safety and urgent care protocols, leading many to question how such a lapse could occur in a healthcare setting. Chandler’s experience serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilant operational procedures, especially in facilities responsible for public wellbeing.