AMBULANCE
AMBULANCE DELAY FOR THIS TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. WE'RE 4@INVESTIGATING THE LACK
OF HELP EAST OF THE RIVER.
>> THEY SAID 4@IT'S ME OR HIM,
WE COULD LOSE BOTH OF YOU, I
FEEL LIKE THEY FAILED 4@ME AT
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. >>
HOME. >> REPORTER: THE LIFE SAVING
SURGERY CAME TOO LATE FOR HER
BABY BOY.
BABY BOY.
BABY BOY. HE NEVER MADE IT.
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A STILLBORN.
SHE BLAMES THE AMBULANCE DELAY
AND LACK OF A MATERNITY
HOSPITAL CLOSE TO HER
SOUTHEAST HOME.
SOUTHEAST HOME. >> THERE WAS NO MORE MOVEMENT
AFTER THAT LAST 4@KICK.
NO MORE MOVEMENT.
THAT'S WHY I KEPT YELLING LIKE
COME ON, LIKE RUSHING THEM.
LIKE I'M MORE IN A HURRY THAN
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE. >> REPORTER: BATES WAS 32
WEEKS PREGNANT WITH HER SECOND
CHILD, BUT THIS PREGNANCY WAS
DIFFERENT WITH CHRONIC PELVIC
PAIN THAT WORRIED HER.
HER DOCTOR REASSURED HER IT
WAS JUST THE BABY KICKING.
>> THIS IS THE ONLY PREGNANCY
I HAD WITH TOO MUCH RAPID
MOVEMENT GOING ON.
YOU ONLY KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF.
>> REPORTER: BATES SAID SHE
WAS NEVER TOLD SHE HAD A HIGH
RISK PREGNANCY AND ONLY
PRESCRIBED NATAL VITAMINS TO
CONTROL HER BLOOD PRESSURE.
>> I FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS
WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. >>
WRONG. >> REPORTER: HER GRANDMOTHER
TOLD HER TO CALL AN AMBULANCE,
BUT INSTEAD SHE WENT HOME TO
LIE DOWN.
LIE DOWN.
LIE DOWN. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES HER
WATER BROKE FOLLOWED BY BLOOD.
THAT'S WHEN HER MOM CALLED
911.
911.
911. IT
911. IT WAS 9:22 P.M.
ACCORDING TO
ACCORDING TO A TIMELINE WE GOT FROM EMS.
FIRST TO HER HOUSE, THE FIRE
TRUCK, ENGINE 32.
EVEN THOUGH A FIRE TRUCK 4@CAN'
BRING SOMEONE TO A HOSPITAL,
FIRE AND EMS SAYS 3 EMTS AND A
PARA4@MEDIC ON THE FIRE TRUCK
WERE TRAINING TO ASSESS BATES
WHILE WAITING FOR THE
AMBULANCE.
AMBULANCE. >> THEY TOOK MY BLOOD PRESSURE
AND SAID THAT'S NORMAL,
EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT 4@I'M
SAYING HOW IS MY BLOOD
PRESSURE NORMAL IF I 4@JUST BLE
OUT?
OUT?
OUT? >>
OUT? >> REPORTER: THE FIRE TRUCK
ARRIVED IN LESS THAN 5
MINUTES, BUT THE AMBULANCE
CALLED BY THE ENGINE COMPANY
TO 4@SEND BATES TO THE HOSPITAL
TOOK 22 MINUTES.
BATES CALLED IT A DELAY THAT
SHE PAID FOR DEARLY.
THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR DC
FIRE IS NOW 4@REVIEWING THE
CASE.
CASE.
CASE. IN
CASE. IN A STATEMENT A SPOKESPERSON 4@
SAYS THE DEPARTMENT SHARES ITS
SINCERE CONDOLENCES ABOUT THIS
LOSS.
LOSS.
LOSS. >>
LOSS. >> I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT. 4@
HOW CAN YOU TELL MY SON YOU'RE
SORRY?
SORRY?
SORRY? >>
SORRY? >> REPORTER: THE SPOKESPERSON
GOES ON TO SAY IN A STATEMENT
THAT AMBULANCE 4@12 WAS THE
CLOSEST AVAILABLE BASIC LIFE
SUPPORT UNIT AND ORIGINALLY
DISPATCHED AND 4@TRAVELED TO TH
SCENE FROM THE CENTRAL PART OF
THE DISTRICT.
THE DISTRICT. >> THERE'S 4@A MEDICAL CENTER 2
OR 4@2
OR 4@2
OR 4@2 OR
OR 4@2 OR 3 MINUTES AWAY AND THIS
WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
>> REPORTER: SHE FEELS SHE
MIGHT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO
SAVE HER BABY, BUT THE UMC
OBSTETRICS UNIT WAS SHUT DOWN
IN 2017.
IN 2017.
IN 2017. SO SHE TRAVELED BY AMBULANCE
ABOUT A HALF HOUR TO MED 4@STAR
WASHINGTON HOSPITAL 4@CENTER IN
NORTHEAST.
NORTHEAST. ACCORDING TO HER MEDICAL
RECORDS, BATES CHECKED IN 61
MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST 911
CALL FOR HELP.
4@
>>
>> WE'RE
>> WE'RE BEAR HUGGING WOMEN 4@I D.C.
D.C.
D.C. >>
D.C. >> REPORTER: EBONY IS THE
DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT THAT
BRIDGES THE GAP FOR EXPECTANT
MOTHERS AND OFFER WRAP AROUND
SERVICES 4@FOR WOMEN EAST OF TH
RIVER.
RIVER.
RIVER. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, BLACK
WOMEN ARE 4@3 OR 4 TIMES MORE
LIKELY THAN WHITE WOMEN TO
DELIVER EARLY OR DIE IN LABOR.
>> NOW THAT I'M PREGNANT AND
YOU FIT, YOU KNOW, UM THIS
QUOTE UNQUOTE RISK, BUT WE
ALSO NEED 4@TO GO AWAY FROM
NUMBER ONE, IT'S NOT RACE, 4@
IT'S RACISM, AND ALSO REALLY
LEAVIN4@G BEHIND THE BLAME
NARRATIVE FOR WOMEN.
>> REPORTER: SO THEY PRACTICE
WHAT THEY 4@CALL REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE.
JUSTICE.
JUSTICE. >> WE WORK TO PUT THE POWER
BACK WITH THE WOMAN AND HER 4@
FAMILY AND USE SHARED DECISION
MAKING FOR EVERYTHING.
AND ALSO CONSENT.
MAKING SURE THAT 4@CONSENT AND
KNOWING THAT SHE HAS A 4@SAY.
>> I'M JUST LOST.
LIKE HOW CAN EVERYTHING GO SO
GOOD AND BOOM EVERYTHING IS
GONE?
GONE?
GONE? >>
GONE? >> REPORTER: BAT4@ES SAYS SHE
WAS FINALLY TOLD HER SON
DIDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE OF A