Do You Blame Yourself or Other People?

It’s not his hospital, according to Dr. Drew, but it’s still come under fire:

Celebrity physician Drew Pinsky on Thursday defended a Pasadena psychiatric hospital that has come under scrutiny for the unexpected deaths of three patients and the rape of a teenage girl in the last five months.

Pardon my curiosity, but why is this a surprise? Not that he’d be defending the unit, but that really BAD stuff happened at a psychiatric hospital? Two deaths, allegedly caused by negligence, were drug overdoses – from known drug addicts. Hello?

The hospital also issued new rules to enhance monitoring of patients and visitors. For example, it mandated frequent checks of routine vital signs and searches of visitors’ bags. Las Encinas has had similar problems in the past, state records show. In October 2004, an 18-year-old patient died after being placed in leg restraints for two days, instead of 3 1/2 hours as ordered. Two weeks later, a patient was found dead after drowning himself in a bathtub. The incidents caused the federal government to threaten to pull funding, but the issues were deemed resolved.

I’m guessing it’s not the only medical facility to run into problems (with lives hanging in the balance). To err is human, and… they didn’t exactly all happen overnight. Per another article:

The incidents occurred in the last five months at Aurora Las Encinas Hospital, which advertises itself as a “world-renowned” haven where patients with acute mental illness and substance abuse problems can recover in safety and comfort. It is a favored destination for rock musicians and actors, among others.

If I were a recovering drug addict, I’d certainly want to do it in comfort and safety – but neither is a true guarantee, no matter where you go or how much you may spend on treatment (I’d imagine). One of the patients in question wasn’t exactly a model one:

Otus, a UCLA graduate, had his first manic episode about seven or eight years ago, his brother said. He was stable for a while, but last summer he started to use Ecstasy and crack, then became suicidal.

Were the relatives of these individuals believing that the hospital was a miracle center, or that recovery was 100% guaranteed just because of the center’s association with Dr. Drew? I’m not dismissing any kind of wrong-doing on the facility’s part, but I also wonder if they should be assuming all (or most of) the responsibility here?

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