The Dallas hospital at the center of the Ebola controversy is fighting back, saying it was not negligent.
In a story first reported by our partners at The Dallas Morning News, Texas Health Resources is now responding to the lawsuit brought forth by nurse Nina Pham.
Pham became the first person to contract the virus in the United States while caring for a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Pham contracted the virus in October 2014 and was cured of the virus weeks later. Last month, Pham filed a lawsuit against hospital parent company Texas Health Resources, claiming the hospital was negligent.
“If the protocols had been in place she should not have contracted Ebola,” said Pham's attorney, Charla Aldous.
The lawsuit also claims a video released of Pham in an isolation unit violated her privacy. Her attorney said it was released for promotional reasons.
“They were more concerned with their reputation and protecting their image than they were with taking care of Nina,” said Aldous.
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THR spokesperson Wendell Watson released an audio statement to NBC 5, saying, in part:
“The facts show that Texas Health Resources and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas acted responsibly to protect their employees. System and hospital administration actively sought and utilized the most up-to-date guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and also coordinated with leading experts at Emory University Hospital to determine and provide the best possible care for Ebola patients. We respected Ms. Pham's privacy and acted only with her consent.”
In response to that statement, Aldous wrote the following:
“I am disappointed but not surprised about the answer THR filed. My hope was that they would come clean and be honest about what happened so that the healthcare community can learn from the mistakes made. Instead, they try to skirt the issue by claiming legal defenses that do not apply. This response by THR just confirms that a lawsuit is necessary to bring light to the facts of what really happened that allowed two nurses at Presbyterian Dallas to contract this deadly disease.”
