Jul 7, 2008 5:45 am US/Eastern
Woman Neglected In Hospital Laid To Rest
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Family and friends bid farewell Sunday to the psychiatric patient that was left to die on an emergency room floor.
The death of Esmin Green is having repercussions far beyond the small Brooklyn church that mourned her passing. It's called into question the standard of health care delivered not only in New York City but across the country.
"The manner in which she died is a statement about how we ignore the little people, how we are indifferent towards little people, and fail to understand that we are a interrelated community of human beings," said Rev. Delroy Reid-Salmon.
By now, the shocking video of events at Kings County Hospital on June 19 has been seen around the world. It shows the 49-year-old Jamaican immigrant who was admitted to the hospital's psychiatric emergency department lying on the floor as other patients and staff appeared to ignore her plight.
Later, she is seen writhing on the floor, but still did not receive medical attention. More than a half hour passes until her death is discovered.
"I saw the film and I was horrified," said Mayor Bloomberg. "That's too nice a word. I was disgusted."
Even worse, the tape suggests the hospital may have altered Green's records to cover up the lack of treatment.
"We have many questions. Certainly, once we realized from the news reports what indeed had happened, we wanted details about what led her to the hospital," said Geneive Brown-Metzger of the Jamaican Consulate.
Seven employees of the City's Health and Hospital Cooperation have been fired or suspended over the incident. A federal investigation is underway while the medical examiner determines a cause of death.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
WCBSTV.com's Most Popular Pages
