Black maternal health care has become a crisis in the United States. We’ve covered the alarming disparity in health outcomes between Black and white women, with Black women being three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Now, a viral video of a Black woman who allegedly gave birth in her car less than ten minutes after being discharged from an Indiana hospital is shining a light on how the healthcare system treats Black women.
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Mercedes Wells arrived at Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point, Ind., in the early morning hours of Nov. 15 believing she was in active labor. At the time, a nurse told her she was three centimeters dilated. Although Wells says she was experiencing painful contractions that were becoming increasingly frequent, she was discharged from the hospital after being monitored for more than five hours
“The nurse said she can feel the baby head but there’s still no change and i was still at 3 centimeters. She said if my labor persist then come back but right now you are being discharged,” Wells posted on social media.
But less than ten minutes after leaving the hospital, Wells delivered her baby in her husband’s truck. Mercedes’ husband, Leon Wells, wrote about the terrifying experience on social media.
“My wife gave birth 8 minutes later I delivered our baby in the truck! After being discharged from the hospital! First Texas now North West Indiana!! Justice will be served!! Racism is REAL,” he captioned a Nov. 16 Facebook post.
According to NBC 5 Chicago, a spokesperson for Franciscan Health said they are investigating the matter, adding that they continue to make the health and safety of their patients a priority.
“We have launched an internal investigation into the alleged incident,” they said in a statement. “Due to patient privacy laws and our own policies pertaining to internal investigations, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
But many online are arguing that the hospital’s actions are a violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTLA), a federal law which states that “anyone coming to an emergency department requesting evaluation or treatment of a medical condition, receives a medical screening examination.” According to EMTLA, the hospital is obligated to stabilize the patient, regardless of their ability to pay or transfer them to a hospital that can give them the care they need.
“Just when I think I can’t be more disgusted with the American healthcare system,” wrote someone in response to a video of Wells being discharged from the hospital on TikTok.
Sadly, Mercedes Wells’ hospital experience isn’t unique. Just last week, the family of Karrie Jones posted a now-viral video of her in visible pain while waiting for more than 30 minutes to be admitted to the labor and delivery unit at Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite, Texas.
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