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U.S. NEWS Thursday 20 July 2023

Border Patrol fails to assess medical needs for children with

preexisting conditions, report says

By LISET CRUZ and VALERIE Six days later, the girl tested
GONZALEZ positive for influenza and
Associated Press had a temperature of 101.8
Border Patrol does not F (38.78 C), according to
have protocols for assess- the report.
ing medical needs of chil- She was given medication,
dren with preexisting con- put into isolation with her
ditions, according to an family but three days lat-
independent report made er, the girl and her mother
public Tuesday on the made numerous visits to
death of an 8-year-old girl the medical unit, the report
from Panama who was in said.
federal custody. Anadith reported vomiting
The girl’s death was “a and then a stomachache
preventable tragedy that to the health provider, who
resulted from” failures in failed to contact an on-
“medical and custodial call physician, the report
systems for children” within showed. There is no proto-
U.S. Customs and Border col that highlights when an
Protection, the agency on-call physician should be
that includes the Border Migrants wait in line adjacent to the border fence under the watch of the Texas National Guard contacted.
Patrol, the report found. to enter into El Paso, Texas, May 10, 2023. Alvarez begged officials to
It’s the latest damning find- Associated Press call an ambulance in or-
ing in the May 17 death of by an independent monitor ed medical risk,” the report amount of time possible in der to hospitalize Anadith
Anadith Danay Reyes Alva- working to enforce compli- says. CBP custody,” Miller said. as her daughter felt pain
rez, who was on her ninth ance with the latest terms New leadership has been Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, in her bones, struggled to
day in custody with family of the Flores settlement appointed to the agency’s the girl’s mother, told The breathe and was unable to
in Harlingen, Texas, in the agreement, a measure Office of the Chief Medical Associated Press she re- walk, but the health provid-
Rio Grande Valley, one of created to bring child wel- Officer, said Troy A. Miller, ported her daughter’s con- er did not consider transfer-
the busiest corridors for mi- fare protections to children acting CBP commissioner. dition to officials when she ring the girl to a hospital,
grant crossings. She had in immigration custody. The agency “has under- and her family were being according to the report.
a chronic heart condition “The failure to consult a taken significant steps to processed at the border, After Alvarez carried her
and sickle cell anemia. physician or a local health address deficiencies identi- but officials failed to no- daughter to the medical
An internal investigation facility for more extensive fied by the ongoing investi- tify other staff at the time unit as she seized and be-
found Border Patrol medi- testing raises fundamen- gation, as well as to ensure the family was taken to a came unresponsive, the girl
cal staff declined to review tal concerns regarding the that medically fragile indi- second facility designated was then taken to a hos-
the girl’s file. ability of the CBP medical viduals and family units re- for families, a problem the pital where she was pro-
The report made public system to care appropri- ceive the best possible care monitor highlighted in a nounced dead, the report
Tuesday was conducted ately for children at elevat- and spend the minimum previous report to the court. said.q

Jill Biden welcomes proposal for

Medicare to pay for navigation services

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE nesses and overcome bar- tion initiative called the
Associated Press riers to quality care. Cancer Moonshot, which
WASHINGTON (AP) — First Biden spoke about her sis- has a goal of preventing
lady Jill Biden on Wednes- ter Jan, who underwent six more than 4 million can-
day welcomed a new pro- weeks of stem cell trans- cer deaths by 2047 and
posal to have Medicare plant therapy several years improving the experience
pay for navigation services ago to treat lymphoma. of people affected by the
for cancer patients, saying Biden said an advocate disease, including patients.
it will make “an enormous helped her sister “every “Since we began this work,
difference in people’s step of the way.” I’ve consistently heard one
lives.” She said making these ser- thing: these navigation First Lady Jill Biden speaks in front construction of a new terminal
She joined other Biden ad- vices more widely avail- programs are so successful, at Pittsburgh International Airport with Acting Labor Secretary
ministration officials on a able is something that she but since they aren’t gen- Julie Su, left, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in
conference call to discuss and her husband, Joe erally paid for, most medi- Pittsburgh, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Associated Press
a proposal by the Centers Biden, worked on before cal practices can’t afford
for Medicare and Med- he was elected president to provide them,” Biden to pay for navigation ser- hope that the private sec-
icaid Services to pay for and then made a priority said. vices. The change would tor will do its part as well,”
“principal illness naviga- after he took office. The Bidens also lost a son, take effect on Jan. 1. Mem- the first lady said.
tion services,” which help The first lady frequently vis- Beau, to brain cancer in bers of the public will have “We know that these ser-
patients make decisions its cancer centers around 2015. until Sept. 11 to comment vices make an enormous
about treatment for can- the United States as part If finalized, the proposed on the rule. difference in people’s
cer and other serious ill- of a Biden administra- rule would allow Medicare “This is a first step. And we lives.”q