Alabama: Man who suffered heart attack died after being rejected in 43 hospitals full of COVID-19 patients

As hundreds of COVID-19 patients filled intensive care units in Alabama, the southern United States, most of them unvaccinated, hospital staff contacted 43 hospitals in three states to find an intensive care bed specializing in cardiology for Ray Martin DeMoniaas his family wrote in his obituary.

The 73-year-old Cullman-based antique dealer he was eventually transferred to Meridian, Mississippi, some 170 miles (274 kilometers) away. It was there that he died on September 1 from a heart problem he suffered from. Now her family is making a plea. “In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you haven’t, to free up resources for non-COVID-19 emergencies»Reads his obituary.

“Due to COVID-19, CRMC emergency personnel contacted 43 hospitals in three states looking for a cardiac intensive care bed and eventually found one in Meridian, Mississippi,” the text reads. reference to Cullman Regional Medical Center for its acronym in English. “He wouldn’t want another family to experience the same as his”.

For weeks, Alabama has seen a spike in patients filling hospitals and intensive care units (and most of them are not vaccinated against COVID-19), making it increasingly difficult to transferring patients to other facilities for specialized care, said Dr Don Williamson. , a former state health director who currently heads the Alabama Hospital Association.

“Every day, hospitals try to find a place to transfer patients, and it is very difficultWilliamson pointed out. “We have had patients who have transferred to Georgia, Kentucky and Florida”.

Jennifer Malone, spokesperson for Cullman Hospital, confirmed that DeMonia was a patient who needed to be transferred to receive higher level specialist care that was not available at the CRMC.. He could not comment further for privacy concerns, but said that “the continued increase in the number of COVID-19 patients has overwhelmed tertiary care hospitals, creating a continuing and growing challenge for medical center staff to find hospitals capable of receiving transfers of patients if necessary. “

On Monday, Alabama had 2,474 COVID-19 patients admitted to public hospitals, 86% of whom were not vaccinated against the disease., according to the Alabama Hospital Association.

(With AP information)

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