A man was found dead in the ER waiting room at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y., and it was determined he died at some point during an eight-hour wait for care, according to a ABC 7 news report.
The 30-year-old patient entered the ER at roughly 10 p.m. Sunday evening complaining about a rash, according to the report. His vitals were taken and he was told to sit in the crowded waiting room until his name was called. At about 6:40 the next morning, a security guard found him dead in a waiting room seat, according to the report.
A hospital spokesman told ABC 7 that security checked on the patient and others, and video surveillance confirms he was still active as late as 3:45 a.m. The spokesperson also said an internal review concluded all hospital guidelines were met.
An employee from the hospital's ER countered the spokesman's account, arguing that the hospital does not have enough staff members to care for the number of patients who visit each day, according to the report.
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