NEW YORK (CNN) -- Six hospital employees have been fired or suspended after ignoring for more than an hour a woman who collapsed and died in a New York emergency room waiting area. Surveillance video shows a woman lying on the hospital floor for almost an hour before anyone helped her.
On June 18, Esmin Green, 49, was involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric emergency department of Kings County Hospital Center on June 18 for what the hospital describes as "agitation and psychosis." Upon her admission, Green waited nearly 24 hours for treatment, said the New York Civil Liberties Union, which on Tuesday released surveillance camera video of the incident.The surveillance camera video shows the woman rolling off a waiting room chair, landing face-down on the floor and convulsing. Her collapse came at 5:32 a.m. June 19, the NYCLU said, and she stopped moving at 6:07 a.m. During that time, the organization said, workers at the hospital ignored her.
At 6:35 a.m., the tape shows a hospital employee approaching and nudging Green with her foot, the group said. Help was summoned three minutes later. In addition, the organization said, hospital staff falsified Green's records to cover up the time she had lain there without assistance.
"Contrary to what was recorded from four different angles by the hospital's video cameras, the patient's medical records say that at 6 a.m., she got up and went to the bathroom, and at 6:20 a.m. she was 'sitting quietly in waiting room' -- more than 10 minutes since she last moved and 48 minutes after she fell to the floor."
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees the hospital, released a statement Tuesday saying it was "shocked and distressed by this situation. It is clear that some of our employees failed to act based on our compassionate standards of care."
After a preliminary investigation, the corporation said it suspended or terminated six employees, "including staff involved with the direct care of the patient as well as managers of security and clinical services," the statement said.--- CNN
Comments from readers of CNN:
when i saw this video it made me sad.....i mean it makes me think what a hosptial really is.....sympathy to her family and i pray that this won't happened any where else....
Two years ago I had a serious medical condition that I was not aware of. I saw a family doctor in a clinic. He examined me for less than 15 minutes and told me to check in an emergency room immediately. He speculated that I had internal bleeding. He was right. But when I checked into ER, told the nurse about my symptoms and the doctors recommendation and speculation, I was still put on low priority. I waited for more than 2 hrs in the waiting room to see a doctor. There were 2 people (including myself) in the area, as time passed by more people came. Long story short, I lost half of my blood and had to have blood transfusion.
My issue is with the ER system here in the US. People still have to wait hours and hours to see a doctor. You really have to be bleeding and dying to get immediate attention.
well, it does happen. This isnt the first or last time it will happen.
When I saw the video I was disgusted. Even the officer in the corner just walked away and pretended nothing happened. This is what is wrong with America today. People have no morals and this just another example of what is wrong with us. That could have been a grandmother, and to just let someone suffer like that is horrible. I doubt they will even make changes
they just want to sound like they care.
I think they should be charged with Murder!!!! I can't believe they sat there and did nothing. I would hate to be them when they have to face God and account for their lack of human compassion.
What you see on this video is what usually happens with the elderly in Nursing homes.
My God have mercy on us , what are we made of .? what was wrong with the people that was around her . we as a people dont have a heart.
"The corporation pledged to put "additional and significant" reforms in place in the wake of the incident."
Why is it that people have to die or go through untold suffering before the responsible parties (Government or private) do something about it?
Time and time again......it's always like this.....how sad
this is just sad.... What is even more disturbing is that with out a camera system in place the truth would've never been known.
It's obvious that the only reason people work at this hospital is
for a pay check. The practice of medicine and healing has long
been gone from this facility. CYA is the culture that has been
adopted and is practiced.
Not only should the staffers be FIRED, they should also be CHARGED with involuntary manslaughter as well as tampering with evidence ( changing the paperwork ). How absolutely HORRIFIC this case is. This was not someone who passed out on a bus stop bench and lost her life. It is someone who was in a hospital and was surrounded by those that took an oath to ETHICALLY practice medicine. Shame on ALL those involved. They should be ashamed of themselves and should be punished by the law
I am an RN with 23 years experience in ER and Psych. There are many , many things that attribute to this type of situation , but i will address what I see as the main factor in these situations nowadays. There is a general ignorance regarding psychiatric problems/diagnoses. It is the worlds "dirty little secret" , and it is real. Mental diseases are just as REAL as Diabetes!; but it is easily ignored ; it's not pretty , and you can't see it , it is almost always just "blown-off" as a behavioral PROBLEM , as if a psychotic person actually has control over his/her mind/behavior. Any "real , medical" issue is ignored because the patient may be acting inappropriate and disruptive and no one likes to deal with a difficult patient. BUT THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!! There are MANY nurses and doctors with very little compassion and ignorant of these diseases... THEY ALL SHOULD SHOULD DO SOMETHING ELSE !!!!
The president of the hospital should be fired for allowing this to happen.
Disciplined? I would hope every person who witnessed this was fired and the disciplined individuals were the supervisory staff. I wonder if there are any criminal charges that can be filed? Every bit I hear about this case makes me feel more and more sick to my stomach....
Human life is precious. Everyone is precious to someone out in the owlrd and we should all treat each other that way. It seems we are becoming more and more numb to our fellow mans hardships.
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