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Bellingham, Washington’s PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center has fired an emergency room doctor who publicly called-out what he called a lack of protective measures against the coronavirus at the hospital.
Ming Lin, a 17-year veteran ER doctor at the hospital, has also worked ER at a trauma center near the World Trade Center during 9/11, became a local celebrity for voicing the concerns over the lack of urgent measures to protect the hospital’s staff.
Lin says he was informed of his termination as he was preparing to start his shift Friday afternoon.
”I got a message that said, ‘Your shift has been covered,’” Lin told The Seattle Times. After phoning his supervisor, Lin was officially told, he was terminated.
More than a week ago, Lin spoke to reporters and made social media posts accusing PeaceHealth that they lack the sense of urgency to protect the staff from the virus. In return for his outcry, Lin said supervisors made threats to his employment.
Going against the demands that he remove his social media post, Lin continued to regularly post updates on his Facebook account.
Lin had written that PeaceHealth St. Joseph refused to screen patients outside the hospital, and instead piled them into the waiting area where the virus could quickly spread.
Two anonymous emergency department workers told The Times they shared Lin’s concerns about the spread of infection because of that practice.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph is the only emergency facility for some 250,000 people in Washington’s northwest corner.
Numerous hospital staff has tested positive for the virus, the hospital’s chief executive, Charles Prosper, said earlier in the week but insisted that none of the cases were work-related.
Lin said he had gained an abundance of support from residents and health care workers in Bellingham.
I’ll be OK,” said Lin, ”It’s a blow to my ego more than anything.”
