As has been the case with emergency shelters, Chula Vista hospitals reported increased numbers of migrants turning up at emergency departments this week.
While there had been a steady stream of medical transports from the border over the past year as many asylum seekers awaited processing by the federal government, Debra McQuillen, chief operating executive for Scripps Mercy Hospital campuses in Hillcrest and Chula Vista, said Monday that there was a noticeable increase in patients turning up seeking care.
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Through Monday, Scripps reported a dozen asylum seekers seeking medical attention at Scripps Mercy Chula Vista with just one sick enough to require hospital admission.
In the past week, added an official at Sharp HealthCare Friday morning, 21 such patients arrived at the emergency department of Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. Three were admitted.
Sharp did not provide anyone to discuss the impacts that asylum seekers have had on the operation of one of the region’s busiest emergency departments.
But McQuillen said that while the overall numbers have not represented a large percentage of overall emergency volume, cases have often required extra work from health care workers. In one case early this week, she said, a total of 11 migrants were dropped off in a group though only two members of the party had medical needs.
After care is provided, she added, hospitals find themselves arranging transportation and access to other services in the community, taking time from core duties.
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Asked whether any such effort might be underway to better coordinate referrals and transportation, the California Health and Human Services Agency referred questions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which did not respond to a request for comment made Thursday.
Justin Castrejon, a spokesperson for the U.S. Border Patrol said that while the agency has provided medical care to detainees while they are in its custody, that responsibility ends once asylum seekers are released to await hearing dates.
“If a migrant is released from Border Patrol custody after being processed, they are free to seek medical care as they see fit, and such care is the responsibility of that individual,” Castrejon said.
* ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/story/2023-09-23/south-bay-hospitals-see-increases-in-migrants-at-already-crowed-emergency-departments
