New York City public hospitals overwhelmed by increase of migrants - YouTube With a record number of migrants crossing into the U.S., pushing resources to the limit in many American cities. Now hospitals are sounding the alarm, saying they're also overwhelmed, including some far from the border. (Julia Ainsley visited a hospital where migrants make up a quarter of the patients.) Julia Ainsley has our report. Tonight the border crisis surging, officials telling NBC News there were over 200,000 illegal crossings at the southern border last month, and a record 2 million migrants crossed the border in the last year. Now a new warning, a thousand miles away in New York City, where officials tell us resources are overwhelmed. Across public hospitals in New York City over the last year, nearly 30,000 visits by migrants and 300 new babies born to migrant moms. Staff here at Bellvue hospital tell us they're eager to help, but the numbers are tough. And most of the visits to the taxpayer-funded legal clinic here are by migrants. "Out clinics are full, and there are waiting lists. And people are turning people away, or referring them to other places." Randye Retkin from New York's legal assistance group says so many migrants are asking for help on asylum representation and healthcare access. Now she says American citizens who need legal assistance with eviction and insurance will have to wait up to 10 weeks. "If you ask me, do we need more resources for legal services, I would say absolutely yes." Meanwhile, New York's governor now slamming the situation at the border. (Governor Kathy Hochul, Democrat) "It is too open right now, people coming from all over the world and finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum." And New York mayor Eric Adams saying providing services for migrants will cost city taxpayers $12 billion. But Biden Administration officials have blamed Adams' response. "It is not an operationally sound effort," one senior DHS official told NBC News. Meanwhile, migrants on the streets are desperate for city help. The Biden Administration granted temporary legal status to nearly half a million Venezuelans, allowing them to work. New York City public hospitals overwhelmed by increase of migrants, NBC News, October 3, 2023 For those who may not know, hospitals in states such as New York are required to provide urgent care services to patients regardless of whether they can immediately pay. This will no doubt put financial strain on the hospitals, increase prices for patients who can pay, and result in longer wait times, overcrowding and burden on medical worker staff, which could even result in costing lives. related threads: Effect of Immigration on Hospitals (posted in Healthcare, Jun 9, 2011 ) Most illegal immigrants in US receive government benefits, costing taxpayers billions (Current Events, Apr 22, 2019 ) another case of hosital dumping, in Baltimore (Feb 20, 2018 )
related thread: New York dealing with deluge of migrants, media admits it is crisis (posted in Political Opinions & Beliefs section, Aug 13, 2023 )
