A black doctor who died fighting COVID-19 complained about racist medical treatment in widely shared social media posts days before her death, prompting an Indiana hospital system to promise a “complete external review” of her treatment.
Dr. Susan Moore, 52, tested positive for COVID-19 last month and was admitted to the IU Health North Hospital in Carmel, Indiana, according to a Facebook post. Aware of his condition and medical procedures, the doctor said he had to repeatedly ask for medication, tests and routine tests while being admitted to a hospital in Carmel, Indiana. She noticed a white doctor in particular who apparently dismissed her pain and said she did not trust the hospital.
“I propose and maintain, if I were white, I wouldn’t have to go through this,” she said in a December 4 video, her voice often breaking. “This is how black people are killed, when you send them home, and they don’t know how to fight for themselves. ”
She was discharged from the hospital administered by the Indiana University Health System on December 7, but was again hospitalized 12 hours later, when her temperature soared and her blood pressure dropped, according to her post. She was taken to a different hospital, Ascencion St. Vincent in Carmel, and said she was getting better care.
Even so, her condition worsened and she was put on a respirator. She died on December 20, her 19-year-old son Henry Muhammad told the media. A number listed for Muhammad could not be located on Friday. Messages left by the Associated Press to two spokespersons for the family were not immediately returned on Friday.
The coronavirus disproportionately affected blacks, who suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and asthma, making them more susceptible to the virus. Black Americans are also more vulnerable because of systemic racism, inequality in access to health care and economic opportunities.
Many black Americans also report that medical professionals take their illnesses less seriously when seeking treatment.
Moore grew up in Michigan, where she majored in medicine at the University of Michigan in 2002. She had an active medical license in Indiana at the time of her death, according to MLive.com.
Muhammad told The New York Times that his mother had frequently received inferior medical care. She had an inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis that attacks the lungs and used to be treated for her problem.
“Almost every time she went to the hospital, she had to defend herself, fight for something in some way, shape or form, just to get a baseline, adequate care,” he told the newspaper.
Dennis Murphy, president and CEO of Indiana University Health, said on Thursday that he was saddened by Moore’s death. He said he did not believe the medical team “failed in the technical aspects” of Moore’s treatment after a preliminary assessment of medical quality, but “may not have shown the level of compassion and respect we seek to understand what is most important to us. the patients “.
“I am asking for an external review of this case. We will have a diverse panel of health and diversity experts conducting a thorough medical review of Dr. Moore’s concerns to address any potential treatment trends, ”he said in a statement.
Last year, public health experts across the country recognized the role that racism plays in healthcare, with dozens of cities, counties and states declaring racism a threat to public health. Although public health experts considered this a first step, many are skeptical.
Muhammad, who said his mother was his best friend and a very caring person, did not have a chance to say goodbye before he died.
“I am outraged beyond words … because if what my mom thinks was true and it was racism, and they neglected her because of it, no one should go through it,” he told ABC News.