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Detroit hospital workers tell CNN patients are dying in the hallways from COVID-19

Posted at 11:43 AM, Apr 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-09 11:43:49-04

(WXYZ) — Workers at Sinai-Grace Hospital said that people are dying in ER hallways before help can arrive, according to CNN.

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CNN spoke to five hospital workers at Sinai-Grace, who said they don't have enough coworkers or supplies to deal with the pandemic, and that tests are taking days to process.

Related: Hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 call on state to do more to spread patients out

According to CNN, workers said that critically ill patients have been kept int he hallways, and at least two people have died in hallway beds.

"We've had patients die in hallway beds because the nurse didn't find they didn't have a pulse until it was too late," the physician told CNN, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Each nurse has so many patients that by the time they come to check on their next one, there is a chance that patient may not have a pulse anymore."

Detroit has the most cases in the state, with 5,824 and 251 deaths, and the state has the third-highest number of cases in the country.

"It's important to understand that everyday emergency rooms all over the country face dynamic situational challenges and even more so now in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis," a hospital spokesperson told CNN. "Like many hospital systems, the demand to care for the ever-increasing number of patients is putting a strain on our resources and staff. Surge plans are in place at our hospital to handle the increase in patient volumes to ensure we provide the safest and most appropriate care for our patients."

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