Washington Post continues to lead the way in probe of death of New York Times D.C. Stalwart
It was bad enough that David Rosenbaum, who was murdered in January, not long after retiring from full-time duty as one of the bulwarks of The New York Times Washington bureau, was left to die on a quiet street after a senseless robbery and brutal attack.
What is worse, though, is the laconic, detached and downright incompetent response by paramedics and medical staff at Howard University Hospital, where Rosenbaum was eventually declared dead.
The Washington Post, through several columns by Courtland King, and in a stinging editorial yesterday, have not treated Rosenbaum's death as just another street crime. Neither has the district.
Rather, all have employed it as a metaphor, of sorts, for the sorry state of emergency care for many in the nation's capital, whether they're in an Anacostia housing project, or an exclusive Northwest street, where Rosenbaum was assaulted.
As the editorial notes, this probe could not have come at a worse time for the hospital:
And to think: Howard University is asking that the city spend $200 million and that the federal government guarantee an additional $200 million so the university and the city can build a $400 million medical complex that Howard medical professionals will control and operate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032801613.html
Good luck with that.
Continued kudos to the Post for persisting with the Rosenbaum story, especially King, who has revealed that Rosenbaum may very well have survived his injuries if not for the medical response to his injuries so bungled.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/17/AR2006031701712.html
As for the Times' coverage of Rosenbaum's death and the subsequent investigation? As we've noted previously in this spaced, let's just say that you'll need to read the Post.
1 comment:
The editorial leaves serious questions about it's motives with it's last paragraph. The article is written without any facts about his medical condition and seeks only to appeal to the masses. As a physician, I know more information is needed before we rush to judge. What was the complaint as stated by EMS ? What were his vital signs ? What was his GCS score. Who has determined that neurosurgical intervention could have saved his life ? What specifically were his injuries ? One hour and twenty minutes is not a long wait for a patient to wait if by all indications they are not a medical emergency. I can tell you from experience that no EMS system or hospital is infallable. Brain injuries are particularly hard to asses because the patient may show no outward signs of trauma or deficit. It amounts to slander to label the EMS system or Howard University as negligent before all the facts are known.
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