When nobody cares

One of the more disturbing pieces of video of late is the one released this week showing a woman dying on the floor of a New York hospital and nobody seeming to care.

According to the story on the BBC’s Web site, “On Tuesday, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the hospital, agreed to increase the monitoring of patients at the hospital’s psychiatric ward as part of a lawsuit settlement.” The BBC’s version of the video is even more disturbing.

What’s troubling — more so after you watch the video — is the assertion that there was a systemic breakdown of monitoring, rather than a simple breakdown of decency and compassion.

There is reason for hope, however. Six people were fired or suspended as a result of the incident.