A woman who gave birth alone in a cell in Denver Prison filed a lawsuit



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DENVER – A woman who claims to have been forced to give birth alone in a cold prison cell has filed a federal lawsuit against Denver City and County, Denver Health and Hospitals and several MPs and nurses, alleging that she was "deadly". she had ignored her request for help.

Diana Sanchez gave birth to a boy on July 31, 2018, after five hours of work.

"She was making blood. She screamed in pain, "said Mari Newman's lawyer. "She was writhing in video form, and yet Denver and Denver Health would not have taken her to the hospital to deliver in a sterile and safe environment."

Newman said the staff "decided to wait until the end of his administrative work because he had reservations to do."

According to the lawsuit, Sanchez told MPs and nurses "at least eight times" that she was having contractions and that the only answer was that a nurse had slipped an absorbent pad under the door.

"They are working on the presumption that any prisoner who expresses any medical need must exaggerate or simulate, or just invent things," Newman said.

the Stop

Sanchez was in prison for a minor charge.

"She had cashed a check that belonged to her sister," said Newman. "She took full responsibility for that. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years of probation, which she served. "

the Video

A prison cell video obtained by Denver7 shows Sanchez, sometimes distraught, lying on the bed and apparently crying in pain. She gave birth at 10:44.

"A nurse finally arrives and takes the baby, as if it was an alien coming from space," Newman said. "He picked up the baby, patted him a bit in the back, as he had no idea of ​​looking after a baby." He did not rub or warm the baby. He did not
remove mucus from the baby's throat or nose. "

Newman said the medical kit apparently did not contain a forceps to tie the umbilical cord.

"Ms. Sanchez learned on arrival at the hospital that she was lucky not to have bled to death," said Newman.

Newman told Denver7 that she was surprised to find that no one was punished.

"In fact," she said, "Denver has conducted its own internal investigation and has staggeringly determined that no one has done anything wrong." Now, if Home Affairs thinks nobody is doing anything wrong. did nothing wrong when a woman gives birth in a dirty prison cell, a few meters away from the toilet, without any medical assistance, there is something wrong with Denver's prisons and systems. "

Eleven years ago, the city and Denver Health agreed to make significant changes to the way they handle inmates suffering from medical problems after Emily Rice's death in her prison cell as a result of untreated injuries sustained in a car accident.

Hospital staff did not take an X-ray before sending him to prison and ignored his calls for help.

"After years of litigation, Denver and Denver Health finally settled the dispute for a total of $ 7 million, plus a legally binding commitment that they would do additional training and make policy changes to ensure that Denver prison knows that it's not just enough to pass on to a nurse. They must follow the chain of command until medical care is provided and, if necessary, call 911 themselves. "

Denver Health Response

Denver7 has contacted Denver Health and the Denver Sheriff Department to obtain a response to the complaint.

Denver Health responded in a statement that it provided high quality medical care to thousands of inmates each year.

"Our patients are our number one priority and we make every effort to ensure that they receive the proper care," the statement said. "As it is an outstanding legal case, we can not comment for the moment."

Denver Sheriff Response

The Denver sheriff's department said it empathized with anyone who is in prison during her pregnancy, including Ms. Sanchez.

In a statement sent to Denver7, the sheriff's department also said:

"We have a contract with Denver Health Medical to provide comprehensive medical care in our two prisons. Denver Health's health professionals are housed in penitentiary facilities and have dedicated medical units to provide medical services to people in care. Ms. Sanchez was in the medical unit and was supported by Denver health professionals at the time of delivery. To ensure that nothing like this happens again, the Denver Sheriff's Department has changed its policy to ensure that pregnant inmates who are at any stage of the job are now immediately transported to the hospital. Unfortunately, as a lawsuit is pending, we are not in a position to make further comments at this time. "

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