Liberian national Thomas Eric Duncan, the first man diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, was treated well and professionally, regardless of his nationality or ability to pay, the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said a day after his death.
The hospital responds to Duncan’s family claims that he was not treated the same quality care that three white American missionaries received. They got the deadly virus in West Africa but recovered after treatment in Atlanta and Omaha, Nebraska, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“We’d like to correct some misconceptions that have been reported about Mr. Duncan’s first visit,” the hospital said in an e-mailed statement. “Our care team provided Mr. Duncan with the same high level of attention and care that would be given any patient, regardless of nationality or ability to pay for care. In this case, that included a four-hour evaluation and numerous tests. We have a long history of treating a multicultural community in this area.”
Duncan arrived in Dallas to visit his family on September 20 and sought medical attention on September 25 Texas Health Presbyterian, complaining of flu. Despite telling the nurse that he came from West Africa, given antibiotics and sent home, only to return to the hospital three days later via an ambulance. Duncan died on October 8.
Duncan’s family and supporters believe that the hospital did not give the quality care that he deserved because he was black and not American, Dallas Business Journal reported.
“We begged and pleaded several times,” for doctors to do more, Josephus Weeks, Duncan’s nephew, said. “They said it’s too late in his treatment. They didn’t try any other options but saline, oxygen and water.”
