Opinion: A hospitals outrageous inhumanity — Who is the head of this joint? He’s the obvious culprit and creep causing the problem. This is out and out unAmerican.
Those who run the emergency room at Bay Pines VA Medical Center let a loyal federal employee die of a heart attack in an adjacent building without lifting a finger to help because he wasn’t a military veteran. The decision was inhumane but reflected hospital policy. After an angry backlash, Bay Pines changed its policy, though not its reputation. Now if anyone needs life-saving emergency care while on Bay Pines property, the victim can be brought to the emergency room without regard to military status. Fall ill even an inch off VA property, however, and its tough luck.
So continues the outrageous behavior by VA officials after the death of Mark Surette, a nonveteran who had worked at Bay Pines for 17 years
found by Peter Inova
Seems like more and more of this is happening. People being turned away for no insurance or one thing or another. What ever happened to the Hippocratic Oath?
The administration of that hospital should be fired, then the people on duty that didn’t lift a finger to help should be prosecuted for allowing that person to die.
‘rules’ be damned, it was a co-worker. I can’t imagine just letting someone lay on the ground having a heart attack and doing NOTHING.
“This is out and out unAmerican.”
That (apostrophe in the title) is out-and-out ungrammatical.
This is just sick. Rules or not, they should all be prosecuted… including the CEO for the hospital.
At the very least I would think that criminal negligence charges should be filed against the people involved.
Looking from the other side…
The “Un-American” bit is way overboard.
The VA Hospitals’ resources are hog-tied and hamstrung having been grossly UNDERFUNDED by FAUX-Flagwaving liberals for many decades.
These hospitals for veterans are oft times used as a last resort, because, for many decades, their ability to give service to VETERANS has been only a minimal and often below par option.
When I (a veteran) was reduced to using the VA. I got very exceptional treatment, considering. I am in an area where there was ample military hospital room to take up the slack.
Non- VA hospitals NATIONWIDE are under many similar types of guns, because of underfunding, illegal immigrant welfare requirements, outlandish lawsuits, malpractice vampires (along with too many malpractice Doctors kept hidden by the powers that be).
Yes, the policy was changed because of public outcry. The same outcry never heard against the cause of the problems.
The root of the problem is still there. Underfunding by FEDERAL bureaucracies, to support… among other things, expensive benefits for federal employees. Key note: How many Federal Employees have said (more than a few) “I Would Rather Die than have go to a VA Hospital’… the list includes politicians, by the way.
I am not a defeatist on this. Nor am I saying that the hospital was ‘right’ in this instance. The care I was given, was not by the VA. The medical staff that took care of me with the VA… could not handle the complexities I had. I was taken care of by the Military hospitals, until THEIR expertise was not enough. Then I was sent to civilian doctors.
Keeping in mind, the media, is usually remorsefully inadequate in reporting the full story, if it impinges on their bias. Most probably, a few items that would round this story out, have been dropped…delibearately.
The media, is too hamstrung with agendas, to ever tell the full truth…
(Yes, I have my own agendas, but, I try to allow both sides time to ponder.)
I hope that Mark Surette at lest gets employee of the month. His death saved the hospital from costly treatment and pointed out a system failure. Seventeen years of service ought to be worth something, it sure did amount to the cost of treatment.
#1
They renamed it and now is the “Hypocritic Oath.”
Unfortunately, the view from up here in Canada is that it is all too American!
People are turned away from private hospitals in the US all the time if they are unable to show proof that they can pay the bill.
That is a flat-out lie. It not only doesn’t happen often, IT IS ILLEGAL TO DO. It is a violation of a federal law.
I guess Canadians don’t know any more about our system than we seem to know about theirs, eh?
Canada has an excellent system. …
If you can wait for treatment…
That is why so many Canadians come across the boarder, to pay for their medical treatments…
And why so many Americans go to Canada to get Cheap ‘Made in America’ drugs…
Interesting boarder problem. eh?
Ah, malren? You only got it half right. You omitted a very important detail.
Hospitals in America most definitely CAN refuse you treatment – but they ARE required to provide EMERGENCY treatment – ONLY. Anything else, you can’t prove you can pay, then don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
Lauren – OK, granted. Private hospitals can refuse to treat non-acute, non-emergency situations. However, the law is broad on the side of the patient in this case – anything that could be considered life-threatening in the short term they are responsible for. They must treat and stabilize you BEFORE sending you to another facility.
The same laws apply to the VA system. The administrators of this facility are about to find that out, I think. This is prime wrongful death lawsuit material…they DID screw up, no doubt about it.
Watch the complete movie, ‘ Sicko ‘, at the following link –
http://tinyurl.com/3atfzr
THEN come back and alter your comments.
Maybe.
Allen McDonald, El Galloviejo®
Anyone who would use Sicko as an arbiter of truth isn’t someone to be taken seriously in an adult conversation.
I *have* watched it. Perhaps you should investigate on your own to see how much of it is true.
Malren, perhaps you could tell us of a hospital which has been prosecuted for refusing to treat a patient? If you are about to die they will look at you. That means bleeding profusely, comatose, or have a knife protruding from your skull. Otherwise, you will wait for hours to be seen or leave. Pregnant women will be seen. Usually in the hallway.
FYI, more Americans are going to Canada for treatment then are Canadians coming to American hospitals. Simple truth is Canadians will get immediate treatment for emergency procedures. Non emergency might need to wait a bit. Americans will have to wait while their medical insurance decides if they will pay for it and the medical staff decide if they will do the procedure at that price.