Video: Baltimore Hospital Caught “Patient Dumping” In 30 Degree Weather
Patient dumping often happens to patients who are uninsured or who have financial troubles. In Maryland a bystander recorded a patient being “dumped” in 30 degree weather.
A Maryland hospital is being accused of “patient dumping” after a video went viral on social media which showed security guards leaving a homeless patient in the cold on Tuesday, wearing only a hospital gown and socks.
Imamu Baraka, a witness, shared footage of the incident online and was shocked after he saw, what appeared to be ,University of Maryland Medical Center Security Guards wheeling the woman towards a sidewalk and returning to the hospital without her.
In the clip, Baraka said: “So, y’all are just gonna leave this lady out here with no clothes on? That is not okay,” and he added: “They just left all of her stuff out here. This is disgusting that they would just leave her unattended on a bus stop half naked. It’s gotta be at least 40 degrees or colder.
The hospital released a statement to People Magazine and indicated that they are conducting a review of the incident. They added that they share the shock and disappointment of those that watched the video.
“This unfortunate event is not representative of our patient-centered mission,” the statement read. “While there are many circumstances of this patient’s case that we cannot address publicly, in the end we clearly failed to fulfill our mission with this patient, no matter the circumstances of her case or the quality of the clinical care we provided in the hospital.”
Baraka attempted to communicate with the patient, saying: “It’s about 30 degrees out here right now,” Baraka says in a recording of the encounter. “Are you OK, ma’am? Do you need me to call the police?”
The act which occurred is termed “patient dumping” and is not unknown in U.S. hospitals. In 2007 “60 Minutes” investigated the practice of removing homeless patients from Los Angeles hospitals and leaving them downtown.
This often happens to patients who are uninsured or who have financial troubles.
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Thank you CT for exposing this Capitalist inspired move. While I am no communist, I am a socialist for the reasons you see here. The people who create the wealth are not the 1% who have the money. It is us who toil in the factories, stores, trucks, warehouses and it is WE who should share in the profits. When “shareholders” (those who simply write checks transferring money given to them for generations to a stock) are given “dividend” increases those increases had better be shared equally with the labor that created the wealth. Unless this happens, our nation will continue this hellish behavior.
In addition, we are not a free country. We are a military dictatorship wrapped in the costume of democracy. When fully over 50% of our nations wealth is transferred to the military yearly in the name of “defense” (from what? We have the most nukes) you know by definition that we live in a dictatorship.
The money spent on our ‘defense’ could be cut by 90% and we would still be able to defend our borders. And those within our borders could be provided with the same health coverage that Congress enjoys. We could also afford to have a safety net Universal Basic Income that would go to ALL Americans who make less than $25,000 per year to make sure each American is provided with at least $25,000 per year in total income to see to their needs.
The biggest difference between giving Americans money directly instead of funneling it to the few 1% is that virtually every penny paid to an American will return directly back to the American economy. In addition, fewer people would be murdered worldwide by American bombs, guns, rockets, planes etc.