911 refused to help dying woman!

Wow that is seriously horrid. Sadly it doesn't surprise me at all. There is a hospital here were I live that is almost as bad. I sat in its ER for almost 8 hours before seeing a doctor. I sat next to a guy who was a diabetic and had cuts all over his leg and was bleeding pretty badly. He was out there almost as long as I was. Along with a few kid who were throwing up in the trash can. The whole time the security guard kept yelling at a guy that was laying across the chairs because he wasn't feeling good. They kept telling him he can't sleep there or lay down or he'd have to leave. I was like are you freaking kidding me. When I asked the nurse at the counter how long would it be before I could see a doctor she was like well we are busy and so you'll just have to wait. I told her I'd be there at the time for about 6 hours and she said well some people wait up to 10 or 11 hours so I shouldn't complain or I can go somewhere else. I was like WTF. I filed a complaint with that hospital and haven't been back.

I heard something about this earlier but didn't get the chance to read the whole article until now. That's so awful!! I can't understand how they could just let that happen. You'd think that being in the middle of a hospital would be the best place you could possibly be when something bad happens, but apparently not! I feel so awful for her family. If that was one of my relatives, I would be so outraged!!

I do hope that the family sues the hospital for everything they can get it is bad enough that some ER's you have to wait almost 5 hours just to see a doctor. It is sad that this had to happened and maybe the doctors should lose their license for it. I really feel sorry for her kids.

First of all, why would you send an amublance to a patient who is already IN the HOSPITAL! I think the hospital is soley responsible. Ambulance personnel may be EMT's, but they are not doctors, and she still would have needed to be seen by a doctor to be treated. Even if the 911 operator sent the police, what are they going to do? Find a doctor, handcuff him, and force him to treat her? This is the hospital's fault, pure and simple.

I heard that and it is awful. I heard the 911 tapes and I thought they weren't very helpful or nice to the people calling trying to get help. But, I suppose they didn't know what to do since she was already at the hospital. It is hard to believe something like that could happen. I still don't understand why the hospital didn't do anything. I hope they investigate and find out why this happened. It is very sad.

I agree that everyone should be held responsible. I am having trouble getting my head around the hospital. They are supposed to TRIAGE patients! Especially ones that are bleeding! I am saddened by this story, but not really surprised. The quality of healthcare has gone WAY down!

it sounds horrible but this is actually quite common, in the UK at least. Here when we dial 999, (the equivalent of 911) they now prioritise calls so i guess it will keep happening

That was truly a shocking story and I agree with you that both the hospital and the 911 operator should be held responsible. I wonder if these people would have been so callous had it been a member of their family who was treated in such a way. I notice the article does not say whether the lady had any type of insurance. There are many medical facilities that are refusing patients because they cant pay.

This is horrible! The hospital is at fault for refusing to care for her and for refusing to have her transported to a different facility to be treated if unable to. Unfortuantely the paramedics were not at fault - they bring the sick and injured to a hospital. 911 doesn't take them from one hospital to another. The hospital needed to make those arrangements if they were unable to treat her. This is on that hospital solely. I'm so glad I don't live there and I feel for the people that need to rely on a hospital that could do that!