Protesters: Hospital treated them unfairly because they are Poor and Latino
/A group of mostly Latino women protested what they
called unfair treatment at South Fulton Medical Center, and the private
hospital plans to meet with them today to hear their concerns. About 20
women and children protested outside the East Point hospital Wednesday,
demanding equal emergency care for poor and undocumented immigrants.
Some of the women recalled unpleasant treatment during visits to the
emergency room because they lacked health insurance. The women ended up
at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta instead. The protesters say the
poor treatment they've received has taken place over several years. A
few years ago, Lupe Martinez rushed her year-old daughter, Sarai, to
South Fulton Medical's emergency room. A doctor there told her the
feverish girl had an ear infection. Martinez wasn't satisfied. So the
two went to Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital, part of Grady, where
the infant was quickly diagnosed with pneumonia and hospitalized
immediately. The baby needed hospital treatment for nearly a month,
said Martinez. The protesters demanded that the hospital provide
bilingual services for Spanish-speaking patients. [more 
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