Here’s a statement from City Councilmember Bill De Blasio about the deat of Emin Elizabeth Green, who died in the waiting room of Kings County Hospital. She was ignored by hospital workers until after her death.

City Hall— Councilmember Bill de Blasio released the following statement on news of the conditions surrounding the death of Esmin Elizabeth Green in the psychiatric emergency room of Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn on June 19, 2008:

“I am deeply troubled by the lack of attention and care that Esmin Elizabeth Green received in the hours leading up to her tragic death. It is unconscionable to leave patients waiting almost twenty-four hours without providing adequate care, and inhumane for hospital employees to ignore obvious signs that a patient is in need of immediate medial attention.

“The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s decision to reduce wait times and institute required fifteen minute checks on all patients in the Kings County psychiatric emergency room is a step in the right direction. However, we cannot wait for another tragedy before making important policy changes.

“We must ensure that similarly unacceptable conditions and patient care policies are not in place at any other hospital in the City, and that hospitals have adequate staff to provide the necessary level of patient care. I am committed to working with my fellow Councilmembers and relevant City agencies to identify the extent of inadequate staffing in City hospitals, and to develop potentially life-saving solutions.”