The below hospital surveillance video shows a dying woman while people around her, including a hospital security guard, did nothing to help. Apparently hospitals aren’t good places for people with mental illness to be (click here to read the full entry and view the video):
After a full hour, another patient alerted hospital staff of the woman dead on the floor. But it gets better:
Worse still, the surveillance tape suggests hospital staff may have falsified medical charts to cover the utter lack of treatment provided Esmin Green before she died.
And while I’d like to say this is a rare, unfortunate accident, indifference among staffers at hospitals toward people with mental illness is actually fairly common.
This is not the first time this hospital has had troubles, either:
A federal suit filed last year in Brooklyn alleged neglect and abuse of mental patients at the hospital. The suit sparked an investigation by the Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s civil rights unit before the June 19 death.
Why their psych ward is even allowed to remain open is beyond me. And while 6 staffers have been fired, including 2 security guards who saw the woman and did nothing, it still leaves a bitter taste in anyone’s mouth who watches this tape. The loss of a job just doesn’t seem sufficient punishment for the death of a person with mental illness — in a hospital.
Read the full story: Hospital video shows no one helped dying woman
(8 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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22 Responses to “Kings County Hospital Lets Woman with Mental Illness Die” (Pingbacks/trackbacks not shown below)
wordmeister at 3:04 pm on
July 1st, 2008
This is sickening. The New York Daily News has pit bulls for reporters. They will not let this drop with a single article.
Dr. John, I may have misinterpreted or taken your comment too literally - even in the best of care facilities, if something like this happened just one time, this could not come close an “unfortunate accident.” imo, “… while I’d like to say this is a rare example of despicable indifference and staff malpractice …” is closer to reality.
Equally sickening is that this is system-wide. Just for the heck of it, I think doctors should show up in emergency rooms, claim symptoms like chest pain that would warrant serious evaluation, and see what happens when the word schizophrenia or bipolar comes up.
I hold no hope of seeing attitudes change in my lifetime.
I now know why my pdoc said to call her first before skipping out to just any hospital. I am fortunate, no extremely blessed, I see that now. I have a pdoc that has given me her cell phone number in cases of emergency. I do pay her well. Believe me, I have the debt to prove it. I just want to scream for the thousands who don’t have health insurance or access to better care. There is no price on human life. That could be me. Heck, that could be any one of us.
Cindy Sue Causey at 4:02 pm on
July 1st, 2008
My cheap IPS provider is not allowing the video to download, but can certainly imagine..
We have mental health hospitals here in Georgia that were *very* recently investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for what came across as actions not totally unlike this.. *This time*, when [consumer] complaints were followed up on, there was no hiding the facts that things very similar to what you highlighted occurred just exactly as (self-)advocates have been vocalizing for years..
There was no quickly shoving the dirt under the carpet until the investigating entity closed the book on the case the way it has been successfully accomplished in similar situations gone by.. Through “A Hidden Shame”, two of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s reporters, Andy Miller and Alan Judd, are doing everything in their power to additionally make sure they don’t miss a beat in documenting every detail possible..
Forwarding stories such as this can only but help increase the awareness that places purportedly safe havens for our sick, injured, vulnerable are instead further endangering those very same Lives.. Thank *you* for sharing this one..
Peace and best wishes from Talking Rock..
Queenvic at 5:01 pm on
July 1st, 2008
The indifference of the doctors and staff @ Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY is a tragic commentary on the inhumane treatment the mentally ill receive in this nation. The poores, most disinfranchised New Yorkers rely on this medical institution for their medical needs. If this is the quality of “care” received then we need to see to it that the higher ups in the hospital administration should be fired and prosecuated as well. Don’t physician’s take an oath which states “Do no harm…”?
Ken at 5:31 pm on
July 1st, 2008
This is so sad. And all I hear is that if we had national health care, the quality of care would drop dramatically. Could it be any worse than this? I did read that she spent a lot of her free time at church. You’re with Jesus now Esmin. God bless you. No more pain and ridicule.
R, Jason Sullivan at 9:16 pm on
July 1st, 2008
WOW! this hospital should be put under review, the security guard should be brought up on manslaughter charges. R U kidding me !!! Guess this hospital will not be getting any more aid or grants from anyone anymore. Absolute scumbags I want the name of the guard that let this happen so we all know and can black ball this ignorant jackass
gean pool uceda at 7:50 am on
July 2nd, 2008
USA´s people are crazy, nobody matters for them, the only thing that imports to them is the money… let´s see Irak and explain to me why 30 persons die day to day, and explain us where´re the nuclear weapons or where´s the Irak Oil… I am also American but I am not from United States I am from Peru(not perou), and it gives me shame because people think that american people are only from United States… The Party is Over Freedom Nation…
J.Huyler - Toronto, Canada at 11:57 am on
July 2nd, 2008
I saw this very disturbing video last night on CNN of Esmin Green & it was almost too hard to believe, not to mention sickening.
The cold, uncaring & inhumane behaviour of those security guards was totally disgusting. Not only should they lose their jobs, they should be banned from ever holding any type of position involving the care or safety of any individual. I also think that criminal charges would not be out of line & certainly hope that Kings County Hospital is put under a thorough investigation & also charged.
Lorraine at 12:32 pm on
July 2nd, 2008
I was young and a member of the full-time working poor (with no insurance). A friend who could not take off work dropped me at the ER after I was running a fever of 103ish. I was in the ER for 14 hours. I was delirious for about 8 of those hours and passed out for 2. I checked in but was ignored. When the doctor finally saw me, he took about 5 minutes to scribble off a prescription (said i had REALLY bad tonsilitis or strep- i forgot which) and then tried to enlist me in a Pyramid scheme (Primerica) with the remaining 30 minutes when he found out I had a NYS license to sell Life and Health insurance from a previous job(Irony is delicious!) . He spent under 5 minutes evaluating my condition - and over 30 minutes trying to sell a pyramid scheme to me.
The bill was around $750+ and the prescription wasn’t cheap either. (I would have made about $60 after taxes if I’d just showed up to work instead - obviously my ‘day off’ was unpaid). Needless to say they could fuck right off.
Lorraine at 12:33 pm on
July 2nd, 2008
I was young and a member of the full-time working poor (with no insurance). A friend who could not take off work dropped me at the ER after I was running a fever of 103ish. I was in the ER for 14 hours. I was delirious for about 8 of those hours and passed out for 2. I checked in but was ignored. When the doctor finally saw me, he took about 5 minutes to scribble off a prescription (said i had REALLY bad tonsilitis or strep- i forgot which) and then tried to enlist me in a Pyramid scheme (Primerica) with the remaining 30 minutes when he found out I had a NYS license to sell Life and Health insurance from a previous job(Irony is delicious!) . He spent under 5 minutes evaluating my condition - and over 30 minutes trying to sell a pyramid scheme to me.
The bill was around $750+ and the prescription wasn’t cheap either. (I would have made about $60 after taxes if I’d just showed up to work instead - obviously my ‘day off’ was unpaid). Needless to say I had some thoughts about what they could do with that bill.
Kings County Hospital as a whole is hopeless, from their ER to their clinic to their psych ward.
June Gabriel at 1:01 pm on
July 2nd, 2008
To the writer of this article -
You need to be more careful in your writing. I live in King County (WASHINGTON). When I began to read your article I kept wondering why no news was broadcast about this - until I realized that King County Hospital was in NY. If you could have said that somewhere in the beginning of your piece - it would have been less confusing.
Thank you,
June
SteveP at 1:56 pm on
July 2nd, 2008
Hmmm.
I’m also from WA - just North of King County line.
June needs to note that there is NO problem with the article - which states “Kings County” (not ‘King’).
We need to learn to read more carefully.
jack white at 11:08 am on
July 3rd, 2008
rap has made black people insensitive to others. people used to come together to make things better. now everybody thinks they’re a superstar, and that it’s not cool to help out. you people are the cancer to our society and you need to fix yourselves.
Phyliss49 at 12:15 pm on
July 3rd, 2008
As a former NYC resident born in Brooklyn (Kings County) I am familiar with Kings County Hospital and it has always been known to me and everyone I knew in NYC as the absoute dregs of NYCHHC. We all avoided it like the plague and would not aallow a dog, hell a rat, to be treated at this hospital. I was aways amazing to me that year after year, this dungeon remains open.
Phyliss49 at 12:16 pm on
July 3rd, 2008
As a former NYC resident born in Brooklyn (Kings County) I am familiar with Kings County Hospital and it has always been known to me and everyone I knew in NYC as the absoute dregs of NYCHHC. We all avoided it like the plague and would not allow a dog, hell a rat, to be treated at this hospital. I was aways amazing to me that year after year, this dungeon remains open.
dr. smith at 10:32 pm on
July 4th, 2008
this is all because reimbursement, fees and payments are cut, delayed and ignored for public hospitals and health care providers. pay up !! and this type of stuff will stop happening.
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This is sickening. The New York Daily News has pit bulls for reporters. They will not let this drop with a single article.
Dr. John, I may have misinterpreted or taken your comment too literally - even in the best of care facilities, if something like this happened just one time, this could not come close an “unfortunate accident.” imo, “… while I’d like to say this is a rare example of despicable indifference and staff malpractice …” is closer to reality.
Equally sickening is that this is system-wide. Just for the heck of it, I think doctors should show up in emergency rooms, claim symptoms like chest pain that would warrant serious evaluation, and see what happens when the word schizophrenia or bipolar comes up.
I hold no hope of seeing attitudes change in my lifetime.
I now know why my pdoc said to call her first before skipping out to just any hospital. I am fortunate, no extremely blessed, I see that now. I have a pdoc that has given me her cell phone number in cases of emergency. I do pay her well. Believe me, I have the debt to prove it. I just want to scream for the thousands who don’t have health insurance or access to better care. There is no price on human life. That could be me. Heck, that could be any one of us.
My cheap IPS provider is not allowing the video to download, but can certainly imagine..
We have mental health hospitals here in Georgia that were *very* recently investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for what came across as actions not totally unlike this.. *This time*, when [consumer] complaints were followed up on, there was no hiding the facts that things very similar to what you highlighted occurred just exactly as (self-)advocates have been vocalizing for years..
There was no quickly shoving the dirt under the carpet until the investigating entity closed the book on the case the way it has been successfully accomplished in similar situations gone by.. Through “A Hidden Shame”, two of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s reporters, Andy Miller and Alan Judd, are doing everything in their power to additionally make sure they don’t miss a beat in documenting every detail possible..
Forwarding stories such as this can only but help increase the awareness that places purportedly safe havens for our sick, injured, vulnerable are instead further endangering those very same Lives.. Thank *you* for sharing this one..
Peace and best wishes from Talking Rock..
The indifference of the doctors and staff @ Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY is a tragic commentary on the inhumane treatment the mentally ill receive in this nation. The poores, most disinfranchised New Yorkers rely on this medical institution for their medical needs. If this is the quality of “care” received then we need to see to it that the higher ups in the hospital administration should be fired and prosecuated as well. Don’t physician’s take an oath which states “Do no harm…”?
This is so sad. And all I hear is that if we had national health care, the quality of care would drop dramatically. Could it be any worse than this? I did read that she spent a lot of her free time at church. You’re with Jesus now Esmin. God bless you. No more pain and ridicule.
WOW! this hospital should be put under review, the security guard should be brought up on manslaughter charges. R U kidding me !!! Guess this hospital will not be getting any more aid or grants from anyone anymore. Absolute scumbags I want the name of the guard that let this happen so we all know and can black ball this ignorant jackass
USA´s people are crazy, nobody matters for them, the only thing that imports to them is the money… let´s see Irak and explain to me why 30 persons die day to day, and explain us where´re the nuclear weapons or where´s the Irak Oil… I am also American but I am not from United States I am from Peru(not perou), and it gives me shame because people think that american people are only from United States… The Party is Over Freedom Nation…
I saw this very disturbing video last night on CNN of Esmin Green & it was almost too hard to believe, not to mention sickening.
The cold, uncaring & inhumane behaviour of those security guards was totally disgusting. Not only should they lose their jobs, they should be banned from ever holding any type of position involving the care or safety of any individual. I also think that criminal charges would not be out of line & certainly hope that Kings County Hospital is put under a thorough investigation & also charged.
I was young and a member of the full-time working poor (with no insurance). A friend who could not take off work dropped me at the ER after I was running a fever of 103ish. I was in the ER for 14 hours. I was delirious for about 8 of those hours and passed out for 2. I checked in but was ignored. When the doctor finally saw me, he took about 5 minutes to scribble off a prescription (said i had REALLY bad tonsilitis or strep- i forgot which) and then tried to enlist me in a Pyramid scheme (Primerica) with the remaining 30 minutes when he found out I had a NYS license to sell Life and Health insurance from a previous job(Irony is delicious!) . He spent under 5 minutes evaluating my condition - and over 30 minutes trying to sell a pyramid scheme to me.
The bill was around $750+ and the prescription wasn’t cheap either. (I would have made about $60 after taxes if I’d just showed up to work instead - obviously my ‘day off’ was unpaid). Needless to say they could fuck right off.
I was young and a member of the full-time working poor (with no insurance). A friend who could not take off work dropped me at the ER after I was running a fever of 103ish. I was in the ER for 14 hours. I was delirious for about 8 of those hours and passed out for 2. I checked in but was ignored. When the doctor finally saw me, he took about 5 minutes to scribble off a prescription (said i had REALLY bad tonsilitis or strep- i forgot which) and then tried to enlist me in a Pyramid scheme (Primerica) with the remaining 30 minutes when he found out I had a NYS license to sell Life and Health insurance from a previous job(Irony is delicious!) . He spent under 5 minutes evaluating my condition - and over 30 minutes trying to sell a pyramid scheme to me.
The bill was around $750+ and the prescription wasn’t cheap either. (I would have made about $60 after taxes if I’d just showed up to work instead - obviously my ‘day off’ was unpaid). Needless to say I had some thoughts about what they could do with that bill.
Kings County Hospital as a whole is hopeless, from their ER to their clinic to their psych ward.
To the writer of this article -
You need to be more careful in your writing. I live in King County (WASHINGTON). When I began to read your article I kept wondering why no news was broadcast about this - until I realized that King County Hospital was in NY. If you could have said that somewhere in the beginning of your piece - it would have been less confusing.
Thank you,
June
Hmmm.
I’m also from WA - just North of King County line.
June needs to note that there is NO problem with the article - which states “Kings County” (not ‘King’).
We need to learn to read more carefully.
rap has made black people insensitive to others. people used to come together to make things better. now everybody thinks they’re a superstar, and that it’s not cool to help out. you people are the cancer to our society and you need to fix yourselves.
As a former NYC resident born in Brooklyn (Kings County) I am familiar with Kings County Hospital and it has always been known to me and everyone I knew in NYC as the absoute dregs of NYCHHC. We all avoided it like the plague and would not aallow a dog, hell a rat, to be treated at this hospital. I was aways amazing to me that year after year, this dungeon remains open.
As a former NYC resident born in Brooklyn (Kings County) I am familiar with Kings County Hospital and it has always been known to me and everyone I knew in NYC as the absoute dregs of NYCHHC. We all avoided it like the plague and would not allow a dog, hell a rat, to be treated at this hospital. I was aways amazing to me that year after year, this dungeon remains open.
this is all because reimbursement, fees and payments are cut, delayed and ignored for public hospitals and health care providers. pay up !! and this type of stuff will stop happening.
