Debate Over Arming Guards At Hospitals Grows With Increasing Number Of Deadly Encounters
Health care professionals are divided over the issue as they weigh the safety of their institution and the possible harm that could befall patients. But for one man who was seeking treatment and ended up with a bullet in his chest, the answer is clear.
The New York Times:
When The Hospital Fires The Bullet
Like Mr. Pean, patients seeking help at hospitals across the country have instead been injured or killed by those guarding the institutions. Medical centers are not required to report such encounters, so little data is available and health experts suspect that some cases go unnoticed. Police blotters, court documents and government health reports have identified more than a dozen in recent years. They have occurred as more and more American hospitals are arming guards with guns and Tasers, setting off a fierce debate among health care officials about whether such steps — along with greater reliance on law enforcement or military veterans — improve safety or endanger patients. (Rosenthal, 2/12)
