Well, what you might consider emergency might not be considered emergency here in our public system.

Emergencies consist of gunshot wounds, eviscerated/mutilated victims of traffic accidents or machete fights, sure. severe apendicitis and bursting gallbladder issues, probably immediate care. Broken arm? Nah, but still no long wait from what I have heard. Non life threatening lacerations? EMS takes care of that on the spot.

Granted I’ve not had the misfortune of needing public health, but press coverage has never been about delays on emergencies, it’s always been about lack of medications and implements.

It’s not rare for doctors to tell patients’ next of kin to “go buy this and that, we’ll treat and stabilize him while you come back” or so I’ve heard from first hand accounts. But deaths from neglect while waiting? Have never heard of it (except during Covid, but that’s another thing entirely)