“Ebola Nurse” Files Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Against Dallas Hospital

A Dallas nurse who contracted the Ebola virus last year has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital that employed her. Nina Pham, a nurse at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, filed the medical malpractice lawsuit alleging that the hospital did not take adequate precautions to protect her, other staff members or other patients from the deadly disease. She also alleges that the hospital violated her privacy and used her as a “PR pawn” while she was recovering.

Ebola Case Spurs Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Ms. Pham’s medical malpractice lawsuit stems from her time in treating a patient from Liberia who had contracted the disease. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national, came into Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital reporting severe symptoms. Ms. Pham and another nurse, Amber Vinson, treated Mr. Duncan, unaware that he carried the Ebola virus. Mr. Duncan was given antibiotics and released, but returned and tested positive for the Ebola virus. He died three days later. After Mr. Duncan’s death, Ms. Pham and Ms. Vinson also tested positive for Ebola.

Inadequate Precautions Prompts Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

In her 36-page medical malpractice lawsuit, Ms. Pham alleges that the hospital failed to provide her with adequate safety training or protective clothing while she worked with Mr. Duncan. She claimed that a hospital supervisor had to find a set of guidelines through a web search, since the hospital had not provided protective suits or instructions on how to treat Ebola carriers. The medical malpractice lawsuit states that Ms. Pham had to wear her standard scrubs home, even as those scrubs could have carried the deadly virus.

From “PR Pawn” To Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

The medical malpractice lawsuit also alleges that the hospital public relations staff used her story to improve its image. The hospital suffered from worldwide publicity after the details regarding Mr. Duncan’s lack of treatment surfaced in the news media. The medical malpractice lawsuit states that hospital management used her as a “PR pawn” when they discovered the positive publicity Ms. Pham’s diagnosis and recovery had earned. While she repeatedly stated that she wanted to keep her diagnosis private, she also alleges that a doctor recorded a video of her in a hospital bed, which the hospital later released.

Medical Malpractice Lawsuit And Possible After-Effects

Although Ms. Pham recovered from the disease, the medical malpractice lawsuit also alleges that she has suffered some health problems since her recovery. She stated that her hair has started falling out, either from the after-effects of the disease or from the experimental drugs she received during her treatment. She also told local newspaper reporters that she worries about how the disease will affect her future health, including her ability to have children.

Source: Courthouse News Service

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