The ultimate SICKO example: VA refuses ER patient who dies

[Sancho]

A man suffers a heart attack while working at a VA hospital 300 ft. from the ER, and the ER refused to treat him so he DIED while being transported to another hospital 45 minutes later!

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http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/27/Southpinellas/VA_s_usual_reply___No.shtml

ST. PETERSBURG - A former Pinellas paramedic said Thursday that she and her colleagues knew better than to take nonveteran patients to the Bay Pines VA Medical Center emergency room.

"If you brought them, you got turned away," said Stacie Smith, 35, a paramedic from 1996 to 2003. "It got to the point that, if you had a non-vet, why call to ask them if you couldn't bring them there?"

[rocktivity]

1. Inexcusable, inexplicable--and consequently, litigious

The county and the VA had previously said that they had a verbal agreement allowing paramedics to take critical nonveterans to Bay Pines if it was the closest emergency room...that pact...made no distinction between patients on or off VA land.

On Thursday, the Pinellas medical director, Dr. Laurie Romig, backtracked, saying no such agreement ever existed. Only "discussions" were held, she said.

You "discussed" something THAT important, but didn't come to ANY kind of agreement? That's SO Alberto Gonzalez. And why not treat the guy purely on the grounds that he NEEDED treatment and the nearest emergency room was only 200 feet away? What part of FIRST DO NO HARM does she not understand?

:banghead:
rocknation

[AndreaCG]

2. Worse yet, he was WORKING there

Usually hospital staff give highest priority when one of their own falls ill. For the doctors not to means they were probably intimidated in the past.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. K & R

[fed-up]

4. this needs lots more kicking/recing nt

[nashville_brook]

5. he was a WORKER there.

"They were fully aware of the patient's condition, and they were fully aware that we were on their campus," Hare said.

"We can see the ER," one paramedic said. "We're like one building away from the ER. But you want us to transport to St. Pete General or do you want us to transport to the ER here?" An unidentified voice responds, "It has been confirmed he is not a vet."

[Zodiak]

6. Typical ugly beurocratic behavior

He's dying?....glad it's not my problem.

Our society has become so callous towards our fellow human beings.

[lostnotforgotten]

7. Remember Always That This Is Bush's Amerika At Its Best

To the Bushes and Bush supporters this is just one less Democratic voter that needs vote caging.

Hey, Rove's not dumb he wants no more work than necessary to win in 2008.

[Swamp Rat]

8. That's murder.