U.S. Hospitals Sending Immigrants Home--August 5, 2021
IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE REGARDING U.S. HOSPITALS FLYING IMMIGRANTS BACK TO THEIR HOMES, HERE IT IS. IT IS A MUST-READ.
SISTER MARGARET MCBRIDE, VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION SERVICES FOR SAINT JOSEPH'S MEDICAL CENTER IN PHOENIX, WAS TRUTHFUL WHEN SHE SAID THAT THE PATIENT/IMMIGRANT'S FAMILIES WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT REPATRIATION BUT THEY (SAINT JOSEPH'S) DON'T REQUIRE CONSENT FROM THE FAMILY TO REPATRIATE. SHE SHOULD KNOW SINCE HER HOSPITAL RETURNS QUITE A FEW UNLUCKY SOULS EACH YEAR.
THIS REMINDS ME OF OSF IN PEORIA. WHEN HAITIAN HEARTS WAS NEGOTIATING WITH OSF AND THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA REGARDING THE FATES OF NUMEROUS HAITIAN CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM HEART DISEASE, NEITHER OSF NOR THE DIOCESE WOULD TELL ME THE DETAILS THAT I HAD TO ACCEPT TO RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT FROM OSF. HOWEVER, THEY DID ALLUDE TO THE FACT THAT THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF ILLINOIS (CHOI) WOULD BE HOLDING THE PASSPORTS AND VISAS OF MY HAITIAN HEARTS CHILDREN. I KNEW THE DIRECTOR'S BEHAVIOR IN THE PAST, AND SO I WAS AFRAID THAT HE AND CHILDREN'S Hospital of Illinois MAY ATTEMPT TO SEND HAITIAN KIDS BACK TO HAITI BEFORE THEY WERE SAFELY CLEARED FOR ME TO FLY THEM BACK TO HAITI.
HAITIAN HEARTS PATIENTS ARE NOT IMMIGRANTS. THEY DID NOT COME TO THE UNITED STATES TO IMMIGRATE. THEY CAME FOR HEART SURGERY. SO, IN MY OPINION, MY HAITIAN KIDS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN "SENT HOME" BY OSF OR TOLD THAT THEY WERE READY TO RETURN TO HAITI WHEN THEY WERE NOT MEDICALLY READY FOR ME TO TAKE THEM BACK.
UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE RECENT NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ADDRESSING THE UNETHICAL BUSINESS OF SENDING IMMIGRANT/PATIENTS HOME, IT REMINDED ME HOW THESE HOSPITALS HAVE NOTHING ON OSF IN PEORIA.
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FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOVE--
"INDEED, SOME ADVOCATES FOR IMMIGRANTS SEE THESE REPATRIATIONS AS A KIND OF INTERNATIONAL PATIENT DUMPING, WITH AMBULANCES TAKING PATIENTS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AWAY FROM FIRST-WORLD HOSPITALS TO LESS-ADEQUATE CARE, IF ANY."
"HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS VIEW THESE CASES AS COSTLY, BURDENSOME PATIENT TRANSFERS THAT FORCE THEM TO SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL IMMIGRATION AND HEALTH-CARE SYSTEMS. IN MANY CASES, THEY SAY, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO REPATRIATIONS IS KEEPING PATIENTS INDEFINITELY IN ACUTE-CARE HOSPITALS."
John A. Carroll, MD
www.haitianhearts.org