A federal jury in Fort Lauderdale awarded $500,000 to a woman whose life-threatening tubal pregnancy was misdiagnosed as constipation and venereal disease while she was serving a 60-day sentence in the Broward County Jail.How in the world did she get Milk of Magnesia? The main jail I deal with won't give my clients any meds other than ibuprofen. Got a headache? Ibuprofen. Got stomache problems? Ibuprofen. Possible heart attack? Ibuprofen. Need meds to keep your psychosis from turning you into a raving maniac? Ibuprofen.
. . .
"I was helpless," she recalled. "A lot of days I couldn't get up. I couldn't roll over. I couldn't move my legs. I thought I'd die." But, according to court records, she was never seen by a doctor or given a pregnancy test. Jail nurses denied her request to go to the hospital. Instead, she was given Milk of Magnesia and a mild over-the-counter pain reliever. She was told to take deep breaths.
I understand part of the reluctance to give more serious drugs is because so many prisoners are malingering in order to get drugs. However, after you see this over and over again you start to suspect a lack of care and an overriding concern for the bottom line.
No comments:
Post a Comment