PHILIPSBURG--The friend of a man who was shot in his leg during a daylight robbery on Back Street on Saturday has accused St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) of negligence and of "robbing" the victim by presenting him with a high bill and not properly tending to his wound.
SMMC officials could not be reached Sunday for comments on the allegations.
Speaking to this newspaper on condition of anonymity, the friend, a businessman, said the victim had been accosted by a gun-toting robber while waiting for a bus at the last bus stop on Back Street. The robber fired two shots, one of which hit the victim in his leg, penetrating the bone. Although the victim put up a fight, the robber got away with the victim's gold chain, the friend said.
The victim was taken to SMMC for treatment. According to the friend, the wound was cleaned, a long cast was placed on his leg and he was sent home. For that, the man was given a bill for more than US $1,200.
The friend said that when another acquaintance had visited the victim at home hours later, it was noticed that "a lot" of blood had seeped through the cast and soaked the victim's bed.
A decision was made to take the victim back to SMMC, as it was obvious that the wound was still bleeding. The friend said an SMMC staff member had told the victim nothing could be done about the bleeding. He was advised to put his feet high on a pillow and the bleeding would stop.
He was charged another fee of $75 for the second visit and for what the friend said was "nothing" and "stupid advice." The friend believed this advice was not proper, as the wound was still bleeding.
The businessman friend said even the attitude of the nurse on call at the time had been unbecoming for a professional institution. He said the nurse had been complaining that she had to leave and that the doctor had to leave. He said SMMC staffers also had been "making jokes" about his offer to use his credit card to pay his friend's entire hospital tab, as the friend had no medical insurance. He said one had commented that he had a lot of money on his credit card.
Not satisfied with the robbery victim being sent away a second time with his wound still bleeding, the friend decided to contact his doctor in French St. Martin and explain the situation. He said the doctor had indicated that based on the explanations he (the friend) had related to him (the doctor) SMMC seemed not to have done a good job.
He said the victim then had been taken to the French side, where he received medical attention, as a result of which the bleeding was stopped.
He said a clear hole could be seen in the victim's foot and he might have lost his leg or even bled to death had he not sought and received professional medical attention on the French side where he was also was checked for tetanus injection and advised to return for a tetanus shot, as none had yet been administered to him.
The victim was charged only 75 euros for the French-side visit.
The friend said he was disappointed in what he considered the uncaring and negligent manner in which SMMC had tended to his friend and in the advice given. He believed his friend had been robbed twice on Saturday: once by the robber and a second time by SMMC with its high bill.
He said while he did not mind paying SMMC's high bill, the Dutch-side hospital should have provided the proper treatment for the money it was charging. He said it was important for people to know about these things when they occurred. He also expressed concern about the crime situation on the island and said something had to be done about it.
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