The American hospital that treated the first man to die in the USA of Ebola has been accused of giving him sub standard treatment because he his a black man.
However, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital which has been under attack from the deceased nephew who claims his uncle had received inferior treatment, says this not true .
A statement by the hospital said the late Thomas Eric Duncan had been cared for by a team of over 50 doctors and nurses, 24 hours a day.
Mr Duncan was not given the experimental drug ZMapp because the manufacturer hasn’t got any more stocks and he was not given a blood transfusion from an Ebola survivor because he was a different blood group, the statement noted.
Josephus Weeks, Duncan Nephew had told MSNBC: ‘He is a poor black man. He had a very deep accent coming from West Africa. I believe they [the hospital authorities] didn’t believe he deserved the care that everyone else should get. And you don’t treat people like that.’
The hospital in its claim said: ‘Mr. Duncan’s physicians treated him with the most appropriate and available medical interventions, including the investigative antiviral drug Brincidofovir.
‘After consulting with experts across the country, the CDC, and the FDA, the investigative drug was administered as soon as his physicians determined that his condition warranted it, and as soon as it could be obtained. Mr. Duncan was the first Ebola patient to receive this drug.
‘The drug ZMapp was not administered to Mr Duncan because it was not available. According to the CDC and the drug manufacturer, it has not been available since August 12, 2014.
‘Mr. Duncan did not receive the same type of serum transfusion as the patient in Nebraska because his blood type was not compatible with the serum donors.