Re: Forced holds on OB patients

[Guest guest]

If the woman was/is mentally ill and was on drugs or alcohol or something of

that nature, the hospital definitely dropped the ball in allowing her to

leave. Someone has to be culpable and while it is easiest to say the

mentally ill woman bears the brunt of the responsibility, if she is

incompetent how can she when there were various medical personnel in a

better position to evaluate what was best for her? As for the other post

Sheila, I dont even want to go down that road. ARRGGH!

mailto: dferguson@...

BTC, Columbus, 10/7/98

Forced holds on OB patients

> The fact that none of the hospitals tried to legally make her stay or

> get care is odd to me. Speaking as a healthcare worker, I've seen two

> different scenarios.

>

> One is forced holds on patients. The patient is given the option of

> remaining in the hospital until after delivery (seen very early in PG-

> they stay for months at a time) and undergoes treatment for their

> drug addiction or they go to jail for the remainer of their

> pregnancy.

>

> And I've seen patients fall through the cracks. One healthcare

> facility drops the ball so to speak and says. " ah well, the next

> hospital will get her " or one hospital turns it over to social

> services with lack of follow-through (so many differnt people to

> blame!)

>

> It sounds like in this case everyone dropped the ball.

>

>

>

> Children are a blessing, and a gift from the Lord. -Psalm 127:3

>