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DEL.ICIO.USShould teen have been jailed for refusing tuberculosis treatment?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By A 17-year-old Gwinnett County resident diagnosed with tuberculosis has started taking medicine for the disease, but he remains in a medical isolation cell in the Gwinnett jail, Sheriff Butch Conway said.
Gwinnett health officials jailed Francisco Santos Friday after he refused to accept treatment for an active, contagious case of tuberculosis. Santos said he was leaving the country to return to his native Mexico, health officials said.
“I think he was scared,” said David Will, attorney for the Gwinnett County Board of Health.
Officials were aware of the recent incident involving Atlanta lawyer Andrew Speaker, who also has tuberculosis. After Speaker left for his wedding in Greece, a national news conference set off an international health scare.
In this case, the Gwinnett officials acted decisively: they put Santos in jail Friday evening, in a rare act of a government agency confining a sick person. Santos is in a special medical isolation cell designed for inmates with contagious conditions. The cell, which measures about 15 feet by 20 feet, has a special ventilation system that keeps the air from reaching other inmates.
Did officials do the right thing?
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By Hellinahandbasket
August 27, 2007 11:25 PM | Link to this
Absolutely yes, he and his family are here illegally and carrying a deadly disease. It’s ridiculous to think that this is even being discussed, he endangered the lives of hundreds if not thousands of students that he went to school with. And here he and his family is enjoying the blessings of this nation by going to our schools, accessing our healthcare, driving our roads more than likely without a valid driver’s license or insurance and taking advantage of their fellow citizens by not paying taxes. And to top it all off they get angry with the U.S. for insisting they get treatment, which we all will pay for, for a disease that they are spreading. I say put the whole family in hazmat suits and return them to Mexico just like they say they want.
By Michael H. Smith
August 28, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
Yes, the county took the right course of action to quarantine this teen for public safety reasons. Now, what has been done by the county to confirm the legal residency status of this teen and his family, since Sheriff Butch has two I.C.E. agents working at the jail to do exactly that very job? Haven’t seen anything in print, Mr. Schneider. Certainly nothing to compare with the big above the fold AJC article (big pictures included) about Cobb’s Sheriff taking proper actions to detain and begin the deportation process on all illegal aliens that come into his jail.
Is the AJC slack on reporting this or do we need a new Sheriff in this c’her town?
By Pam
August 29, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
Yes, but if he’s illegal, why didn’t Gwinnett turn him over to Immigration.
By V for Vendetta
August 29, 2007 1:01 PM | Link to this
This is ridiculous. Make him happy and ship him back. Oh, and while you’re at it, why don’t you clean out the rest of L-ville as well?
By Lee
August 31, 2007 7:23 AM | Link to this
Tuberculosis, which was once essentially eradicated from this country, is making a comeback primarily due to the TENS of MILLIONS of ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS who bypass the normal health safeguards associated with legal immigration.
I have never understood why schools, who require the children of American citizens to provide proof of vaccination before they can be enrolled, allow the children of these ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS to attend school and potentially spread deadly communicable diseases.
As far as the criminal in this story, I say ship his a55 back to Mexico and deduct the cost from the million$ of foreign aid we provide to them.
By redfox
September 3, 2007 9:00 PM | Link to this
Yes!
By Rick in Lawrenceville
September 4, 2007 7:42 AM | Link to this
To what Lee said above: ditto!
By DK
September 9, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this
Re: illegal aspect, Could not bring an apple aboard on Maui to California flight, but this unchecked influx is OK ?