Navicent Health heads to court to remove patient who allegedly does not want to leave

The Medical Center, Navicent Health in Macon, Ga., filed a petition in Bibb County Superior Court last week asking a judge to issue an order discharging a patient from the hospital who reportedly does not want to leave, according to The Telegraph.

Alter Antoine was admitted to the hospital after a serious car accident this spring. He previously received treated at another hospital in Albany, Ga., before coming to The Medical Center, Navicent Health. Mr. Antoine allegedly suffered a traumatic brain injury during the accident that left him unable to swallow. Physicians surgically implanted a feeding tube in his abdomen, the report states.

While numerous hospital physicians testified in court Tuesday and Wednesday Mr. Antoine may be discharged from the hospital, a lawyer on behalf of Mr. Antoine claimed discharging his client from the hospital may damage his health. He alleged Mr. Antoine "hasn't been taught how to clean the [feeding] tube or use it to feed and hydrate himself" and is therefore not ready to leave the facility, according to the report.

Mr. Antoine's lawyer also claimed the hospital made two prior attempts to discharge the patient, once in June and once earlier this month. However, as a federally funded institution, the hospital is required by law to "hold [the patients] that they elected to take" initially, the report states.

Because physicians deemed him eligible for discharge and Mr. Antoine still has not left the hospital, officials have accused him of criminally trespassing on the property, the report states.

It is unclear when the judge will issue a verdict on the case.

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