Relatives of illegal immigrant who was in coma at UIC Medical Center seek review of his death

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: chicagotribune


Francisco Pantaleon's relatives tried to prevent the undocumented immigrant, who was in a coma, from being returned to Mexico. (Family photo)

Grief-stricken relatives called for Cook County's medical examiner to look into the death of Francisco
Pantaleon, an illegal immigrant who died Tuesday in the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago after lying in a coma for more than a month.

The circumstances of his death remain unclear, and family members are angry about what they say was a failure by the hospital to inform them that Pantaleon, 30, was near death. They are asking for the investigation to be sure that negligence did not play a role in Pantaleon's death, they said.

Security concerns appear to have complicated the issue. Pantaleon's family received threats after the Tribune reported that the medical center was planning to send him back to Mexico to receive long-term care. Pantaleon's case highlighted a little-known practice of hospitals to return sick illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.

In response to the threat, the hospital restricted access to Pantaleon's room, allowing only his sister and wife to visit.


Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-coma-patient-deportaug28,0,5140936.story