Printer Friendly Page
FAMILY SUES EISENHOWER ARMY MED CENTER FOR
MALPRACTICE, WRONGFUL DEATH -- "When the
surgeon went in, they punctured her liver."
Story here...
http://www.wltx.com/
news/story.aspx?storyid=48246
Story below:
---------------
Family Sues U.S. for Malpractice, Wrongful
Death
Ashley Yarchin reports
This Isn't the First Suit Against the Hospital
(Augusta) - "That we were looking forward to living our life, going on
our 20th anniversary, seeing our daughter graduate," said Carter Bryant
of the loss of his wife, Patricia.
"I wish she was here to see me graduate," said her daughter, Tabitha.
"She always wanted to see me graduate."
But the anniversary passed and high school graduation is two months
away. Patricia will have missed it all.
In November 2004, the former sergeant went to the Eisenhower Army
Medical Center at Fort Gordon near Augusta for a simple surgery to
repair hernias. "When the surgeon went in, they punctured her liver,"
Carter said.
He said the doctor's failure to run pre-operative tests caused her to
lose over half her body's blood supply. She was in a coma for the next
four months.
"It's basically a mistake that should have never been made," said
Tabitha, who was 15 years old at the time. From there, she watched her
mother's health slowly decline.
"She was depressed, and she didn't want to get out, didn't want to go
anywhere," said Carter. "She just wanted to stay at home."
"She felt like she was deprived of being a mother to me," added Tabitha.
In September 2005, the emotional and physical pain was too much for
Patricia to bare. Inside her Lexington home, the 42-year-old doused
herself with gasoline and set herself on fire.
"I do believe that what happened at Ft. Gordon did lead to what
eventually happened to my wife," said Carter.
"I hope they learn from it," said Tabitha. "I really do. I hope they
don't repeat what they've done to other people."
The multimillion-dollar lawsuit claiming medical malpractice and
wrongful death was filed Tuesday. Attorneys are now awaiting a response
from the U.S. government. They would not comment to News19 over the
phone because the case is still under investigation.
This is not the first medical malpractice suit against the hospital. The
family and their attorney, Henry Garrard fear this won't be the last if
attention isn't brought to the larger issue with military healthcare.
"So from our own work that we have done, we don't believe this is simply
an isolated incident," said Garrard. "And we have promised to deliver a
quality of healthcare equal to what you and I might receive at a
civilian facility and the concern that we have and the Bryants have is
that our system is broken."
---------------
Larry Scott --
