Man Made to Fill Out Paperwork While Dying of Heart Attack, Wife Says

2-14-2013 20:57:00

Los Angeles (CN) – Kaiser’s emergency room surveillance camera captured a man's heart attack and death while the hospital's receptionist refused to call an alert until the necessary paperwork was filled out.

Goar Aloyan says in her LA County complaint that she was driving when her husband, Trdat Arakelyan, began complaining of severe chest pain. Recognizing a heart attack, Aloyan drove her husband to defendant Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Panorama City, Calif.

At 8:40 p.m. Aloyan pulled up to the curb of the emergency room. She dropped her husband off and went to park the car.

Arakelyan approached the intake nurse, defendant Jocelyn Basililo, and informed her that he was having severe chest pain, shortness of breath and profuse sweating. Instead of immediately assessing Arakelyan, Basililo told him to sit down and fill out the multitude of forms and come back, according to the complaint.

Surveillance video shows Arakelan took a seat directly across from the reception nurse. He remained in her line of vision as he sat down, holding the paperwork in one hand while clutching his chest with the other.  He then dropped his head on the chair and was offered no assistance by Kaiser personnel.

At 8:42 p.m., Aloyan came into the emergency room found her husband in the chair in severe pain and distress. After appealing to the reception nurse, she too was told to sit down and fill out the required forms.

Aloyan says she say her husband's pain increase, and returned to the reception window at 8:43 p.m. and demanded help. She says Kaiser personnel ignored her.

At 8:45, Arakelan went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. Aloyan says she watched as her husband’s body slid down the chair.

According to her complaint, Aloyan attempted to lift her husband’s body off the floor and an unknown man rushed to help while at the same time frantically waving at a security guard seated near the reception window. The man then yelled to the reception window to get help.

At 8:46 p.m., three Kaiser employees finally appeared and lifted Arakelan onto stretcher. Aloyan says she watched as they rolled him away.

Aloyan says Kaiser doctors performed CPR on her husband, who had no pulse. They also they injected him with medication and attempted to restart his heart, ultimately pronouncing him dead.

Aloyan says Kaiser Permanente and Jocelyn S. Basililo should have immediately admitted her husband to their triage unit after they were told of symptoms commonly associated with a heart attack. Had they acted with urgency, Aloyan would not have had to witness the death of her husband, according to the complaint.

Aloyan seeks special and general damages for medical malpractice, wrongful death, refusal to render emergency services and negligent infliction of emotional distress.   

She is represented by Varand Gourjian of Gourjian Law Group in Glendale, Calif.