Ebola in the US: Texas hospital has become ‘a ghost town’
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Version 0 of 1. The Dallas hospital at which the first US case of Ebola was diagnosed has been shunned by Texans following its public mishandling of the disease, with one healthcare worker likening it to a “ghost town.” Last month, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital misdiagnosed Thomas Eric Duncan, the country’s first Ebola victim, who died of the disease on October 8. Two of the nurses who treated Duncan have since been diagnosed with Ebola. Following widespread criticism for its handling of the Ebola incident, reports indicate that many people are now avoiding the once busy hospital. Not only are outpatient procedures being cancelled, but fewer emergency cases are being taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, according to WFAA. Rachelle Cohorn, a local healthcare vendor said: “It feels like a ghost town. No one is even walking around the hospital.” ABC News has reported that wait time for an emergency procedure has fallen from 52 minutes to no time at all. The hospital has come under fire for a series of blunders, primarily the original misdiagnosis, despite Duncan stating that he had recently travelled from West Africa where the Ebola crisis had already claimed thousands of lives. This week a nurse from the hospital criticised its lack of preparation and the absence of proper safety protocol when treating Ebola patients. Briana Aguirre, who helped treat her infected colleagues, told NBC: “I can no longer defend my hospital at all. We never talked about Ebola, and we probably should have. “They gave us an optional seminar to go to – just informational, not hands on. It wasn’t even suggested that we go. “We were never told what to look for.” Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health Resources, which runs the Dallas hospital, today published an open letter in local newspapers apologising for its mishandling of the situation. He said the hospital is “deeply sorry” and admitted that it had made “mistakes in handling this very difficult challenge.” Chief clinical officer of Texas Health Resources said it is vital that the Dallas hospital convince people that it is safe. He told ABC: “I would tell this community that Presby is an absolutely safe hospital to come to. "We've been in communication with our doctors that have their private offices in our professional buildings around the campus who are getting 40, 50, 60 percent cancellations just for fear of being somewhere in the geography of the hospital where Ebola is treated." Varga told Congress that the hospital was given Ebola guidelines by the CDC in July but staff had not received hands-on training. |