By Bill Carey
SA国际传媒
CATSKILL, N.Y. 鈥� Two Catskill EMS employees have resigned following the circulation of a surveillance video on social media.
Catskill Town Supervisor Patrick McCulloch said the video, which shows the alleged mistreatment of a patient, immediately caught the town鈥檚 attention, prompting an internal investigation, reported.
On May 16, Catskill EMS responded to a call off Main Street. The nature of the call was not reported. An EMT can be heard telling the patient, 鈥淐ome on down,鈥� to which someone responds, 鈥淗e鈥檚 very weak.鈥� The EMT replies, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 carry him down the stairs. He鈥檒l have to go on his butt and come down.鈥�
The video does not show the patient, who lives on the second floor, struggling to descend the stairs and approach the ambulance.
鈥淟et鈥檚 go,鈥� one EMT is heard saying. Both EMTs stand by as the patient struggles to climb up on his knees. The patient eventually collapsed in the back of the ambulance before getting onto the stretcher, reported.
鈥淵ou need to get up,鈥� one EMT says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not doing this.鈥�
Another is heard saying, 鈥淚 literally just watched you put yourself on the ground on purpose. I鈥檓 not playing this game with you.鈥�
鈥淚n the town, we take patient care at the utmost importance, first and foremost,鈥� Catskill Town Supervisor Patrick McCulloch said. 鈥淪o when I saw the video, I felt it was our duty to act on this and be as transparent with the public as we can.鈥�
McCulloch said that with the resignation of the EMTs, the town considers the internal investigation closed but they are still reviewing their policies to improve service.
The patient was reportedly a multiple-stroke victim and suffered internal bleeding after the incident, reported.
