Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

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U.S. NEWS Thursday 6 June 2019

Doctor accused of murder in

25 patient overdose deaths

By KANTELE FRANKO "At no time did Dr. Hu- said none of the families
Associated Press sel ever intend to eutha- who talked with investiga-
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An nize anyone — euthanize tors believed that what
Ohio doctor was charged meaning speed up death," happened was "mercy
with murder Wednesday defense attorney Richard treatment."
in the deaths of 25 hospital Blake said. Amy Pfaff, whose mother
patients who, authorities The patients were going to was among the patients
say, were killed with delib- die whether they were be- whose deaths prompt-
erate overdoses of pain- ing treated by Husel or an- ed the charges, said she
killers that in many cases other physician, Blake said. was pleased to see Husel
were administered by other The Columbus-area Mount charged but still wonders
medical workers on his or- Carmel Health System about his motives.
ders. found Husel ordered po- "Trust me, I sit many hours
In one of the biggest cas- tentially fatal drug doses sitting trying to figure out
es of its kind ever brought for 29 patients over sev- why would he do this to Former critical care doctor William Husel, center, pleads not
against an American eral years, including five so many people, and I just guilty to murder charges in the deaths of 25 hospital patients
while appearing with defense attorney Richard Blake, right, in
health care professional, who might have received don't know," Pfaff said. Franklin County Court on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, in Colum-
William Husel was accused those drugs when there still More than two dozen bus, Ohio.
of ordering outsize doses of was a chance to improve wrongful-death lawsuits Associated Press
the powerful painkiller fen- their conditions with treat- have been filed against
tanyl to patients who were ment. The hospital system the doctor and the hospi- tient care as a precaution, not disclose whether it re-
on ventilators and receiv- said six more patients got tal system, including one hospital officials have said. ceived any complaints that
ing palliative care between doses that were excessive by Pfaff over the October All told, 48 nurses and phar- did not result in action.
2015 and 2018. but probably did not cause 2017 death of her mother, macists were reported to The allegations against Hu-
Franklin County Prosecutor their deaths. Beverlee Schirtzinger. their respective profession- sel recalled another Ohio
Ron O'Brien compared Hu- It was not immediately clear The hospital system has al boards. Thirty of those case involving a former
sel's actions to extinguish- why the charges cited 25 publicly apologized and employees were put on nurse's aide dubbed the
ing a dwindling candle. deaths and the hospital cit- settled some of the cases leave, and 18 no longer Angel of Death. That man,
"That candle, while there ed 29 deaths. O'Brien said for hundreds of thousands work there, including some Donald Harvey, confessed
may be just a half an inch the investigation remains of dollars. who left years ago, officials in 1987 to killing 37 peo-
of wax left, if I blow that open and other deaths are All employees who had a said. Records show no prior ple, most of them hospital
candle out, I'm causing still being reviewed. role in administering medi- disciplinary action against patients, over the span of
that flame to go out soon- Husel was fired in Decem- cation to the victims have Husel by the State Medi- two decades in Ohio and
er than it would naturally," ber and stripped of his been removed from pa- cal Board. The board will Kentucky.q
O'Brien said. medical license after con-
Husel, 43, pleaded not cerns about his orders were
earlier in the day. A judge officials at Mount Carmel, Massive ladybug swarm over
guilty after turning himself in brought to the attention of

set bail at $1 million. where he had worked for
The doctor is the lone de- five years. California shows up on radar
fendant. Authorities are Mount Carmel has said it
not prosecuting nurses, should have investigated
pharmacists and others and taken action against LOS ANGELES (AP) — A as it flew over San Diego It wasn't immediately
involved in the deaths, Husel more quickly. It said huge blob that appeared Tuesday. known what type of lady-
though dozens of those that the doctor was not on the National Weather But Dandrea tells the Los bug was causing the phe-
hospital employees have removed from patient Service's radar wasn't a rain Angeles Times that the la- nomenon.
been reported to profes- care until four weeks after cloud, but a massive swarm dybugs are actually spread The Times says one spe-
sional boards for investiga- concerns about him were of ladybugs over Southern throughout the sky, flying at cies, adult convergent lady
tion and potential disciplin- raised in the fall, and that California. between 5,000 and 9,000 beetles, mate and migrate
ary action. three patients died during Meteorologist Joe Dan- feet (1,525 and 2,745 me- from the Sierra Nevada to
Husel's lawyer said he was that gap after receiving ex- drea says the array of bugs ters), with the most con- valley areas where they
trying to provide "comfort cessive doses he ordered. appeared to be about 80 centrated group about 10 eat aphids and lay eggs.
care" for dying patients. Police Sgt. Terry McConnell miles (129 kilometers) wide miles (16 kilometers) wide. q