LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- It would be a crime to dump hospital patients on the streets of California, under proposed legislation prompted by a string of alleged desertions.
The Los Angeles Times reported that authorities have been frustrated prosecuting dumping cases because there is no state law against the practice. The newspaper said authorities in Los Angeles are investigating 55 alleged dumping cases at skid row.
A case that sparked public outrage involved a paraplegic man left in the skid row gutter without a wheelchair, the Times reported.
New legislation would make it a misdemeanor for a hospital or worker to leave a patient anywhere but home without informed consent. People violating the law would face two years in jail and fined $1,000. Hospitals could be fined $10,000.
"The problem goes back to the lack of social services for homeless and indigent patients who end up in hospitals," Jennifer Bayer of the Hospital Association of Southern California told the Times. "We are already spending $2 billion in uncompensated care providing medical treatment for indigent patients. Imposing fines or arresting people is not productive."
