A victory would set a precedent that could protect patient rights into the future.
The family of a woman who died after a hospital refused to treat her COVID-19 with ivermectin, despite a prescription by her doctor, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Scott Mantel, whose wife, Deborah Bucko, died on May 16, 2021, from complications of COVID-19 while in the care of Mount Sinai Hospital, filed the lawsuit in September, alleging that the hospital “repeatedly interfered with the doctor-patient relationship between Ms. Bucko and the infectious disease attending physician overseeing her treatment, specifically, by knowingly and deliberately impeding the doctor’s orders to treat Ms. Bucko with the potentially life-saving medication ivermectin, thereby depriving Ms. Bucko of a substantial chance of recovery and cure.” The hospital did not return a request for comment.
Ms. Bucko was admitted to the emergency room at the hospital on Feb. 28, 2021, after first experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, according to the complaint. Shortly after being admitted, Ms. Bucko’s condition worsened and she was transferred to the intensive care unit where she was placed on a ventilator. Her condition took a further turn for the worse when on April 1, doctors informed her husband that she had “little, if any, hope for recovery.”
According to the filing, Mr. Mantel “researched possible alternative treatments, and he read several news stories about patients with severe COVID-19 illness who had been treated successfully with ivermectin.”
Mr. Mantel was able to convince a doctor at the hospital to write a prescription for ivermectin. However, the prescription was first placed on hold “on the grounds that Mount Sinai Health System recommends against the use of ivermectin for covid-19,” before being rescinded the same day by the Hospital Stewardship Committee. Only after Mr. Mantel was able to receive a court order forcing the hospital to fill the prescription was his wife able to receive the treatment, during which time she showed improvements, according to the complaint.
“While she was being treated with the ivermectin and immediately afterwards, Ms. Bucko’s respiratory and cardiovascular functions showed significant improvement and she required significantly less oxygen, vasopressors, and ventilator support, which was clearly demonstrated in her medical records.
