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| Thomas Eric Duncan's family settles with Dallas hospital over Ebola treatment | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The family of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died of Ebola in Dallas last month, has reached a “resolution” with the owners of the Dallas hospital where he was first sent home before being diagnosed with the often-fatal virus several days later. | The family of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died of Ebola in Dallas last month, has reached a “resolution” with the owners of the Dallas hospital where he was first sent home before being diagnosed with the often-fatal virus several days later. |
| The settlement, reached with Texas Health Resources (THR), Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and the emergency physicians group involved in Duncan’s care, will be divided among his four children, aged 12 to 22, as well as his mother and father, the family’s lawyer announced on Wednesday. Two children live in the US, one in Liberia and the youngest in Ghana. His mother lives in North Carolina, and his father in Liberia. | The settlement, reached with Texas Health Resources (THR), Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and the emergency physicians group involved in Duncan’s care, will be divided among his four children, aged 12 to 22, as well as his mother and father, the family’s lawyer announced on Wednesday. Two children live in the US, one in Liberia and the youngest in Ghana. His mother lives in North Carolina, and his father in Liberia. |
| His fiancee, Louise Troh, who cared for him in her shared apartment and spent 21 days in quarantine afterward, isn’t included in the deal because under state law she is not a direct relative. | His fiancee, Louise Troh, who cared for him in her shared apartment and spent 21 days in quarantine afterward, isn’t included in the deal because under state law she is not a direct relative. |
| As part of the deal, the hospital will also create a fund in Duncan’s name dedicated to providing financial assistance to victims of Ebola in Africa. Some of the money will be used for building an Ebola treatment center in Liberia, which has suffered the greatest death toll in the current epidemic. The family also received a personal apology letter from the chief executive of Texas Health Resources. Details of the settlement and the letter were not disclosed. | |
| “We know that this has been a terribly sad, difficult and trying time for Mr Duncan’s family and friends, and they will continue to be in the hearts and prayers of the entire Texas Health Presbyterian family,” the hospital said in a statement on Wednesday. “As part of the healing process, we have again extended our sincere apologies to the family and shared our regret that the diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease was not made at the time of Mr Duncan’s initial Emergency Department visit.” | “We know that this has been a terribly sad, difficult and trying time for Mr Duncan’s family and friends, and they will continue to be in the hearts and prayers of the entire Texas Health Presbyterian family,” the hospital said in a statement on Wednesday. “As part of the healing process, we have again extended our sincere apologies to the family and shared our regret that the diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease was not made at the time of Mr Duncan’s initial Emergency Department visit.” |
| The hospital will not charge Duncan’s family for his care. | The hospital will not charge Duncan’s family for his care. |
| Duncan is the first and only person to die from the disease in the US. His death raised a host of questions about hospitals’ preparedness for treating Ebola patients. | Duncan is the first and only person to die from the disease in the US. His death raised a host of questions about hospitals’ preparedness for treating Ebola patients. |
| The family lawyer said the deal was “as good or better” than what they could have won had the case gone to court, given the state’s strict medical malpractice laws. | The family lawyer said the deal was “as good or better” than what they could have won had the case gone to court, given the state’s strict medical malpractice laws. |
| Duncan was initially turned away from hospital despite having a 103-degree F fever and disclosing his travel history from a country where Ebola was present. He returned to the hospital two days later and was admitted, and tested positive for Ebola on 30 September. He died nearly two weeks after he first sought treatment. Two nurses were exposed during his care; both survived. | Duncan was initially turned away from hospital despite having a 103-degree F fever and disclosing his travel history from a country where Ebola was present. He returned to the hospital two days later and was admitted, and tested positive for Ebola on 30 September. He died nearly two weeks after he first sought treatment. Two nurses were exposed during his care; both survived. |
| At the time of his death, his family questioned whether his race or lack of insurance coverage had played a role in his misdiagnosis. However, the most outspoken critic of the hospital, Duncan’s nephew, Josephus Weeks, struck a conciliatory tone during a press conference on Wednesday, praising the hospital for reaching this decision swiftly. | |
| “We all make mistakes,” Weeks said during the press conference. Ducan’s sister, Mai Wureh, also attended the conference but did not speak. | “We all make mistakes,” Weeks said during the press conference. Ducan’s sister, Mai Wureh, also attended the conference but did not speak. |
| The family’s lawyer, Les Weisbrod, said he would have argued in court that Duncan might have lived if the hospital had diagnosed him during his first emergency room visit. | The family’s lawyer, Les Weisbrod, said he would have argued in court that Duncan might have lived if the hospital had diagnosed him during his first emergency room visit. |
| “The initial treatment in the emergency room, in my opinion, was such that it would meet the standard of gross negligence,” he said. Weisbrod added that he does not believe the initial misdiagnosis had anything to do with Duncan’s race or lack of health insurance. | “The initial treatment in the emergency room, in my opinion, was such that it would meet the standard of gross negligence,” he said. Weisbrod added that he does not believe the initial misdiagnosis had anything to do with Duncan’s race or lack of health insurance. |
| The family said during the press conference that they would like to have a book or movie made about his experience. | The family said during the press conference that they would like to have a book or movie made about his experience. |