A woman in Ohio
was arrested for harassment and assault, three days later she was found
unresponsive in her cell and pronounced dead. It was reported the sheriff's
department didn't believe alcohol or drugs played any role in her death.
The woman’s
family has filed a suit in federal court against the jail's medical staff, as
well as the sheriff, and county commissioners, maintaining she suffered from medical
malpractice, wrongful death, and civil rights infractions. The suit alleges
that the woman was suffering from medical complications due to heroin
withdrawal and that medical personnel neglected to supply necessary medical
care.
In another case, a prisoner died from a heart attack and kidney failure allegedly because the medical staff of Utah State Prison neglected to provide the dialysis treatments essential to keep him alive. He died three weeks before he was expected to be paroled.
The Utah State
Prison has responded to his death by firing a nurse and a physician and
demoting others that were involved. The family has filed a suit claiming
medical malpractice, wrongful death, and civil rights infractions.
Medical
professionals in correctional facilities should be aware that they are not
immune to the issues that affect physicians in other types of healthcare
facilities. The failure to provide medical care could potentially have an even
more serious impact since prisoners aren't able to freely move or pick their providers.
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