RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - FW: First US Ebola Patient Dies In Dallas - Duncan's Death Was Announced A Few Minutes Ago

When a rumor is not malice driven, it is very likely to be based partly on events, experience, and facts. It is well known that when hospitals treat the uninsured (usually poor- citizen or immigrant) patients, the patients do not always receive the best quality care available. It is understandable therefore that many people are thinking  that Mr. Duncan may not have received the full and timely medical care that he should have had in  this country.

Why for example did the healthcare personnel who attended to him during his first hospital visit  not suspect Ebola, if the personnel knew Mr. Duncan was only few days into his visit from Liberia? Many illnesses share common symptoms. Fever is arguably the most  widely shared diseases' symptom. It is the first symptom that Ebola victims manifest. Mr. Duncan had a fever. His host family suspected Ebola which was probably why they took him to hospital even though they must know that a wide choice of non-prescription fever-reducing medicines were available.

Medical diagnosis can be imprecise. Trained, conscientious healthcare workers who practice their art correctly and in good faith, know to err on the side of caution- the just-in-case approach to healthcare delivery. This usually is one reason doctors sometimes recommend a battery of tests on their patients even when their informed judgment tells them otherwise. Why was this benefit not extended to Mr. Duncan who was visiting from a country well-known to be plagued by an Ebola epidemic.

Two insured, not poor, non-immigrant Ebola infected patients, like Mr. Duncan, were reported to be receiving experimental treatment. The two patients were transfused blood donated by an Ebola survivor. The survivor has been reported to say that he was willing to donate his blood for Mr. Duncan's treatment but was never asked to. If this report is true, why was the man never asked as he was for the other two patients?

There are good reasons to suspect that Mr. Duncan may not have got the best deal that was possible. It is little surprise therefore that the rumor mills are spinning.

It breaks the heart to know that Mr. Duncan lost his life because of the goodness of his heart. He is reported to have helped to ferry a pregnant Ebola virus-infected woman to hospital in Liberia. He would not have had to do that if the government of Liberia was doing well, what was after all its job.  I do not know that everyone travelling abroad soon, as Mr. Duncan was, would take the risk that Mr. Duncan took with an Ebola virus-infected victim. He did not have to do what he did. He chose to do it.

The Liberian government must take some responsibility for the death of this, as far as we know good man, and the loss that his mother, son, fiancée, and the rest members of his family are left to bear. The least the Liberian Embassy in Washington D.C. must do now, in my opinion, is cover all Mr. Duncan's funeral expenses. Mr. Duncan's family must not be left to pay the expenses.

 

oa

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Pablo
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2014 5:34 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - FW: First US Ebola Patient Dies In Dallas - Duncan's Death Was Announced A Few Minutes Ago

 

Is there any truth to the rumour (it is so strong it may be true) that he was refused because they thought that he might not have medical insurance?  Is this, then, dying for being black?

Pablo

On 2014-10-08 2:59 PM, ozili wrote:

Prof Fall,  did you say he died or he was lynched by carelessness of the hospital staff who bungled his initial visit to the hospital or those who misfired his admission report. The government need to investigate this official carelessness in this first class country and hold somebody responsible. 

 

 

Sent from Samsung Mobile

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Toyin Falola

Date:10/08/2014 12:44 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: dialogue ,Yoruba Affairs

Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - FW: First US Ebola Patient Dies In Dallas - Duncan's Death Was Announced A Few Minutes Ago

 

 

Subject: First US Ebola Patient Dies In Dallas - Duncan's Death Was Announced A Few Minutes Ago

 

First US Ebola Patient, Duncan, Dies In Dallas - YahooNews

 

SCRUPLES: First US Ebola Patient, Duncan, Dies In Dallas - YahooNews

				SCRUPLES: First US Ebola Patient, Duncan, Dies In Dallas... Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan(pix: yahooNews) The first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. has died, a Dallas hospital announced minutes ago.
				View on ugowrite.blogspot.com	Preview by Yahoo

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