GRAPHIC RAW VIDEO: Woman allegedly left outside hospital in cold wearing only gown
(RNN) – A woman was left stranded on a Baltimore street wearing nothing but a hospital gown, said one bystander who took to social media in a post on Wednesday.
Imamu Baraka, who identified himself as a psychotherapist and a student, said he was disgusted to see the woman dropped off with her belongings on a bus stop just outside the University of Maryland Medical Center.
It appeared the woman was being discharged from the hospital for being unruly, Baraka said.
“We firmly believe what occurred Tuesday night does not define who we are as an organization,” said Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center in a press conference Thursday.
Suntha said the patient was provided appropriated medical care and was not released by the hospital because of an outstanding bill.
“I share the community’s shock and anger at what occurred,” Suntha said.
Suntha said officials are conducting an in-depth analysis on what occurred and that the incident was an isolated incident.
Suntha also said he has reached out to Baraka to thank him for the video and to thank him for bringing the situation to light.
“I am disgusted by the lack of empathy that I am seeing displayed,” said Baraka who is fully dressed in an overcoat. “It appears as though that this is a norm where individuals who are unruly are left on the street to sort of fend for themselves.”
Baraka posted a series of photos to his Facebook account detailing the incident. The videos have been viewed more than 400,000 times.
“So ya’ll are just going to leave this lady out here with no clothes on?” Baraka asks a group of uniformed men walking toward the hospital with an empty wheelchair.
“So you are OK with leaving the woman out here?” Baraka asks the group. Baraka said it was about 30 degrees.
Lisa Clough, a spokeswoman for the hospital, confirmed the incident happened Tuesday.
“We share the shock and disappointment of many who have viewed the video showing the discharge of a patient from the Emergency Department of UMMC Midtown the night of January 9,” Clough said in a statement to The Washington Post. “This unfortunate event is not representative of our patient-centered mission.”
Baraka then tends to the woman who has bruises on her forehead.
The woman, wearing nothing but a hospital gown and some socks hunches over and screams repeatedly, as she walks in circles on the sidewalk away.
The hospital cannot comment on patient care or why she was discharged.
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