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When there is no anesthesiologist on call for births, the consequences may be serious injury or death

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Designated pediatric hospitals have a distinct duty of care to their patients, mother and child alike. If they don’t have a dedicated anesthesiologist on staff, that may cause serious problems when an emergency arises, as often happens during live births, explained a New York Birth Injury Lawyer. That’s just how things go.

When minutes count towards the ultimate health of a child and count towards their possible life or death, an acute obstetrical emergency must have the right kind of staff on call to handle the situation. Hospitals with certain designations that specifically deal with obstetrical complications, generally have a dedicated anesthesiologist on staff, if they don’t, then they are not living up to the level of care that their patients need.

If something goes wrong because there was not an anesthesiologist on call and a baby and/or mother is seriously injured or dies, therein lies a medical malpractice birth injury lawsuit.

While hospitals in Manhattan and Long Island, as well, may think its adequate to have doctors’ on call services, as opposed to having them on staff and in house, there is the very real problem of how long it takes for that on call anesthesiologist to get back to the hospital when they are needed. If they live in a big city and have to travel across it to get to work, in the time it takes to get from home to the OR, the baby could have already suffered severe birth injuries or have died.

The economic reality of living in the 21st century is such that many hospitals are cutting back services to save money and cut corners. Cutting corners when it comes to obstetrics is an accident waiting for a place to happen, largely because one of the areas a hospital will cut their budgets in is anesthesia on call services.

Have you been in a situation like this where you needed medical help while giving birth and the anesthesiologist was delayed or late to arrive? Did you or your baby suffer injuries? If so, you may want to discuss your case with a New York Birth Injury Attorney.

Your life and the life of your child are precious and if there was medical malpractice, someone needs to be held responsible. Only a dedicated and skilled New York Birth Injury Attorney can ensure you get justice. The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in N York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.

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