Posted on 01/28/2011 9:44:32 PM PST by Libloather
Quechan sue federal government over health care
January 28, 2011 11:52 AM
BY JOYCE LOBECK - SUN STAFF WRITER
**SNIP**
The Quechan Tribe filed its lawsuit after IHS disclosed last year that 44 tribal members were potentially exposed to blood-borne viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C from October 2008 to July 2009 as a result of IHS' failure to use the autoclave sterilizer for instruments used to provide open-wound treatment for patients at the Fort Yuma clinic.
“This is just the most dramatic example of the United States' breach of its trust obligations to the tribe in the delivery of health care services,” said Jackson. “The federal government put the lives of tribal members at risk. IHS has lost the trust of the tribal community.”
The U.S. has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the tribe's concerns should be addressed by Congress, not the court.
Jackson, however, believes the tribe has a strong case.
“If the government is going to provide health care to the tribe, it must ensure that it does no harm to the tribal people. Congress has not acted to protect the tribal people and we need the courts to step in.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yumasun.com ...
This is an example of why NO ONE should trust the government.
Didn’t sterilize medical equipment, then used it on human beings?
I’m a little iffy on the death penalty here, but those scoundrels should be punished severely, assuming the allegations are true.
Funny that Obummer hasn’t given much thought to American Indians.
This is like a “dry run” for Obamacare. Not even sterilizing medical instruments. How very 3rd world.
““The federal government put the lives of tribal members at risk. IHS has lost the trust of the tribal community.””
Well, they could always just pay for their own care, but I suppose that would just be too abstract for these folks.
What did they expect? The best care paid for by the government provided to them for free?.
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