Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Deaths Of 2 Migrant Children Could Have Been Prevented, Doctors Testify
Arizona Republic: Deaths Of Migrant Children In Border Patrol Custody Said To Be Preventable
Two doctors told members of Congress that the deaths of two migrant children in the custody of Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border could have been prevented if agents had more medical training and if migrants in U.S. custody had improved access to adequate care. The House Committee on Homeland Security held a virtual hearing on Wednesday to address the deaths of two Guatemalan children in December 2018 — the first deaths of minors in custody in nearly a decade. They also scrutinized Border Patrol's medical procedures for migrant children in its custody. (Carranza, 7/15)
AP: Doctors Not Part Of DHS Review Of Migrant Children's Deaths
A government auditor did not employ medical professionals when his office cleared U.S. border agents of wrongdoing in the deaths of two Guatemalan children, the auditor said Wednesday. Joseph Cuffari, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee regarding the deaths of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal and 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Both children died in December 2018 after being apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol. (Merchant, 7/15)
CNN: Border Agency Provided Inconsistent Medical Care To Migrants In Custody, Watchdog Finds
US Customs and Border Protection didn't provide consistent care to migrants in custody and in some cases failed to properly report deaths, according to a newly released report from the Government Accountability Office. The report is the latest in a string of findings describing inadequate detention conditions in 2019, when a surge of migrants at the US-Mexico border overwhelmed government facilities and eventually resulted in Congress appropriating additional funds. (Alvarez, 7/15)
