OSWEGO -- A woman who claims an Oswego Fire Department's ambulance crew refused to take her to the hospital speaks out exclusively to CNY Central.
The New York State Health Department is in the midst of an official review of allegations the Oswego Ambulance Corps refused to transport patients on four separate occasions in apparent violation of public health law. A state agency has already revoked the EMT certifications of two fire department employees.
Sources tell CNY Central that one of the four patients is Oswego resident, Rebecca Hood. "They basically treated me like a burden and refused me treatment." Hood told reporter Jim Kenyon.
Hood says she's undergone several operations following a difficult childbirth. She says she also suffers from seizures brought on by an anxiety disorder that has required her to call for ambulances in the past. Several days after surgery she received on Christmas eve, Hood says the catheter to her bladder broke apart. "It was causing much pain it was leaking I needed it fixed."
Hood added that she was under a doctor's order not to exert herself without assistance and there was no other way to get to the hospital. She says the ambulance crew had an attitude from the minute they entered her home. "They have seen me plenty of times before and they basically just looked at me and made me feel pretty low about myself... by saying I'm misusing the ambulance."
Hood claims the medical crew told her to call a different ambulance service and left without checking her vital signs. She says a family member called Menter ambulance based in Fulton. Hood says she was transported to Oswego Hospital where her catheter was replaced. She says doctors decided to admit her overnight to make sure she didn't suffer complications or infection from the experience.
Rebecca Hood says she's glad the Health Department is looking into the fire department's ambulance corps. "I think it's been needed for a long time."
The Oswego Fire Department has not returned our call for a response. The department has said in the past it would not comment as long as the health department investigation continues.
