North Carolina mom files lawsuit after
son is sent home from hospital dead in a taxi
Although the incident happened over two years ago, the
lawsuit emerging from it is very pertinent with today's squabbles about
healthcare.
"A North Carolina woman is suing a hospital security contractor over a 2011 incident in which her late son was carried off hospital premises and sent home in a taxi after his death."
It's rather ironic that this tragedy should come to light at the
same time as the Obamacare/Francis season is in full swing, for to millions of
people, that's what the season has been portrayed as: the season of healthcare
and humility, and one which the Right has been screeching about. To
"social conservatives" everywhere, this is the worst Christmas ever:
Obamacare continues to roll out despite a near disastrous start, gays are
getting married at a record rate as states fall one-by-one to gay rights and
same-sex marriage, and the new pope is championing compassion and humility in
the face of capitalism.
The Tragedy of A'Darrin Washington
A'Darrin Washington suffered from recurrent pneumonia associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had been a patient at the Cumberland County for ten years. He was admitted into the hospital on Nov. 22, 2011 where he was (mis)diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. He was given the wrong medication for more than several days, during which time he became unresponsive and was in pain. After tests revealed that he was suffering from fungal pneumonia, he was given the proper medication. Even though he was still unresponsive, he was judged fit to be discharged.
The complaint states: "Mr. Washington was unresponsive due to the fact that he was dying."
A nurse called security to remove A'Darrin because he was "uncooperative" and "refusing to walk and move." Even though several staff voiced their concerns, security removed him from his bed, placed him in a wheelchair, then placed him in a taxi.
The taxi cab driver
was concerned that A'Darrin was already dead. The drive took 45 minutes.
A'Darrin's body was cold by the time he was received by his mother and other
relatives.
The Cumberland
County Hospital and its security looked like cruel, annoyed ____ (use your own
plural noun). A long time terminal cancer patient was treated so badly that
it's a wonder the hospital has not been investigated and closed down. It
is not clear as to why the hospital has not been sued directly.
"Healthcare in
America is the BEST IN THE WORLD"
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