Concerned patients ask legitimate question: “Who do I sue?”

Posted on by Dave Paco Abraham

Many thanks to all the Save LICH supporters who have helped keep up the pressure on our elected officials as well as Governor Cuomo, who unfortunately still remains completely silent on the health care crisis in our neighborhood. 
A registered nurse at LICH offered us this update below.  We urge everyone to read it in full, and call Governor Cuomo directly to voice your concern. 
(518) 474-8390
LICH EMT reports that yesterday, a Cobble Hill resident was suffering a heart attack just a block or so from LICH but ambulance was forced to take him to Methodist due to continued LICH patient diversions. According to the EMT, it took a full 9 minutes to get to that hospital and then more time to assess the patient and begin treatment. Heart muscles die with each delayed moment. In the first 9 minutes that it took just to travel to another hospital, the Cobble Hill resident could have already been in the LICH cardiac catheterization lab restoring his heart’s blood flow, reducing the injury and increasing the chances for survival.


Also, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports on a woman who was choking in Carroll Gardens. According to that patient, because of LICH’s diversion, the ambulance had to take her to Methodist & travel time was 20 minutes on a Sunday. Thank G-D for the paramedics who were able to treat her on the way. She asks the reporter “who do I sue” over this. Others report on the impact of long delays for care at Brooklyn Hospital as well. (see:http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/residents-fear-worst-brooklyn-er-crisis-drags-2013-07-04-160300)

This is no joke now. People’s lives absolutely are in danger as SUNY Downstate continues to thumb its nose at everyone – elected officials, supreme court judges, community residents, etc.

Does there need to actually be a death in the ambulance before the city and state put a stop to this insanity and full services at LICH are resumed?

FYI: In LICH ICU today, there are 2 attending physicians present, plus one attending physician on call, 6 ICU Registered Nurses, 2 physician assistants, 1 nurses aide, a nurse manager and a case manager – all for just 2 patients – both of them being transferred out of ICU today. There’s even more staff than that in ER. There’s just 28 patients in the entire hospital, with a full staff of nurses, doctors, and other caregivers on those floors too.

So what is the reason again that our ambulances are being diverted, our admitting office cannot admit anyone, and patients cannot come to LICH?

Lives here are being put at risk because Downstate has big plans to build new care centers around Brooklyn but has no way to pay for it. Are people going to die in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Redhook just so LICH can be sold to fund SUNY’s grand ideas? (see:
http://mcbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-can-suny-downstate-design-brooklyn.html)

The Department of Health’s representative was just at LICH again, counting all the staff on each unit, saying nothing, but looking astounded at the incredulous situation here.

So where is the NYC public advocate and the NYC mayor for these NYC residents in Brooklyn? Where is the Governor? Do they all need to be sued by the family of a patient that SUNY causes to be harmed by continuing this debacle before they start to seriously advocate for this public and not just come out for a photo op? How is this all still being allowed to continue?

This is a tragedy with a mega-lawsuit waiting to happen and the city, state, SUNY and Downstate officials and Governor Cuomo will find themselves being held responsible. LICH’s full hospital services need to be resumed now.