The psychiatric ward at Kings County Hospital is a shameful “chamber of filth, decay, indifference and danger” where patients are subjected to overcrowded conditions, physical abuse and unnecessary injections of mood-altering drugs, a federal lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Sidney Hirschfeld, head of Mental Hygiene Legal Service, a state agency, paints a portrait of horrors at the psychiatric ward where patients - including children and the physically disabled - are routinely neglected and abused.
B’klyn Psych Ward A Horror Show: Suit
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The psychiatric ward at Kings County Hospital is a shameful “chamber of filth, decay, indifference and danger” where patients are subjected to overcrowded conditions, physical abuse and unnecessary injections of mood-altering drugs, a federal lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Sidney Hirschfeld, head of Mental Hygiene Legal Service, a state agency, paints a portrait of horrors at the psychiatric ward where patients – including children and the physically disabled – are routinely neglected and abused.
In a statement, Alan Aviles, president of the city’s Health and Hospitals Corp., said the claims are irresponsible and unfounded.
According to the lawsuit, a shortage of beds at the ward forces patients to sleep on foam mats or directly on a floor that is often covered with blood and urine.
Blankets, pillows and pillowcases are scarce, but when they are available, it’s common to find them stained with dirt, urine, blood and lice and reeking of body odor, the suit claims.
Soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and even toilet paper are rare commodities, the suit says.
The lawsuit describes serious neglect and abuse by the staff and police at the Brooklyn hospital, where officers have dragged, kicked and punched patients, the suit claims.
According to the suit, patients deemed “difficult” are handcuffed and forcibly injected with mood-altering drugs and beatings.
“It’s a scandal – the conditions here hark back to the Dickensian conditions in the worst facilities that you can think of,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the plaintiff.
Aviles conceded the psychiatric ward is “one of the busiest in the nation” and “often experiences overcrowding.” He said the corporation has earmarked $140 million to build a larger state-of-the-art facility, to be completed in fall 2008.
Der Shygetz
Is this story being covered here because there are so many meshuggeners in 770 who belong in Kings County Funny Farm (G-building)? If conditions there are really that awful, there is always Kingsboro Psychiatric down the street.
In any case, Napoleon, or was it George Washington, has informed me that indeed, the legendary Kings County G-building, as of yet not inhabited by a single one of the glassy eyed, flag waving lunatics who washed up on our shores from northern Israel, is going to be torn down and replaced with a more modern facility that will be designated with a letter further down the alphabet.
I would choose T, for Tzfati, but my recollection is that the new building will be designated R or S. I have to ask one of my other personalities for the correct information, but the one who would know is presently miles away in Pilgrim State, or is it Creedmoor….
Not Surprised
For some reason I’m not surprised, give the conditions of the “hospital” itself, which leave much to be desired.
Baishonim Rachmonim Gomlei-Chasodim
“Der Shygetz”
Why are you so hatefull?
curios
what is the point of the article??
CH Reader
Yeah – Der Shygetz’s comments were a little on the harsh side this time. The Tzfati bochurim might “annoy” some at times, but one must remember where their chayus comes from – their hiskashrus with the Rebbe we all share. Just as each sibling in a family has a way to relate to his father, each chossid in our “ein mishpocho” has a special relationship with the Rebbe. Concentrating on what divides us instead of what unites us causes further machloikes. Enough is enough. This article was posted because there is a situation in our area that is hurting people. Please do not use it to hurt even more.
Der Goy
Hmmm…how can anyone take a post seriously when it is written by someone who calls himself Der Shygetz? And hateful is spelled with one l, not two.
lets share names
yes “DER SHYGETZ”
I think YOU need to get rid of your own PERSONEL anger, then you’ll feel better. And less constipated
disgusted
I don’t understand how you can print such a disgusting comment by someone who calls himself the Der Shygetz. I don’t think that I have ever read something so disgusting and full of hatred. How dare you print something so terrible!!I will bli neder boycott your website and tell others to do the same. Obviously you may not print this, but you will surely read it. After all the achdus that was evident at the Lag B’omer parade you have the chutzpa to print something like this!!I don’t know who you are, but all I can say is that even a small child would have more intelligence than to repeat something so full of hatred.
Maryashi
To der shygetz,
I find it interesting that you know the names and locations of all the crazy houses in brooklyn. Do you frequent them often?
It seems like from your writing that youd do much better if you get on Zoloft or the likes, it will help regulate your mood swings.
Der Shygetz
I stand behind every word I said, no matter how unpopular it is. The only mistake I made was using Tzfati when I meant a particular subset of those who are lumped in with the regular Tzfatim. For that, I do apologize.
I know far better than that and I should have written Taliban. Instead, I was concentrating on getting all the names of the funny farms right. As usual, one of my personalities drank a bottle of Smirnoff instead of taking his Zoloft before posting and that made it hard for me to remember where I was last treated.
Tolerance of nutcases who ruin everything that Chabad ever stood for and who commit violent acts is not achdus. It is surrender to violence and insanity. And violent, glassy eyed lunatics belong in hospitals, not in 770. We have already seen that they are dangerous, and I don’t want to “open my mouth to the Soton” by stating openly what insane people are capable of doing.
Then again, maybe those who believe that achdus means tolerating insanity should bunk up with the Talibanis in overcrowded G-building for a week or 2.
mixed nuts
Shygetz’s comment made me laugh! Hey people! Why do not you relax! Do not take everything so seriously! It was a good joke he made, laugh if you like it but just because something is not at your taste does not mean it is disgusting. That’s his opinion that he is entitled to. By the way, how you all get the time to read a response like his after reading an article, get upset and reply in length? Take it easy and just get busy bringing Mashiach!
A. Shliach
I found der shygetz’s comments to be funny. I’m surprised no one else did.
Der Sheygets Has a point
While I find it oddly suspicious that der sheygets knows so much about psych wards I also find it amazing that people call tzfatim “FELLOW CHASIDIM” there used to be a split between mishichist chasidim and non-mishichist chasidim although sometimes one side or another did thing not to be proud of, they were still “fellow Chasidim. The tzfatim however are a difrent breed of
dangerously psychotic animals they are NOT I repeat NOT ”Fellow Chasidim” and maybe Der Sheygetz who is such an expert in the psych ward dept of Kingd County could arrange some treatment for those illegal aliens.
CH Reader
Der SHygetz,
If you really suffer from alcoholism, multiple personalities, and anything else alluded to in your post, please seek help immediately.
Der Shygetz
To CH Reader:
Would you like to get in on a great real estate deal? I have a bridge for sale, perfectly located for travel from Crown Heights to Manhattan and back…………
CH Reader
I am not going to put myself in the line of “Der Shygetz’s” verbal abuse. From the reference to “Creedmoor” in the initial comment I think we can all identify who the “real” “Der Shygetz” is. Please stick to your day job – destroying what achdus is left in Lubavitch today is tremendously sad and counterproductive. The Rebbe wants us to bind together and bring Moshiach – let’s not let petty differences (because at the end of the day, that’s really what they are) deter us from the task. This story was printed to help spare people the pain of abuse. Do not join the abusers.
kugelly good
The NYCLU will not rest until every mental patient is ‘freed’ and living a full life on the streets. Remember the black woman Joyce Brown from the late ’80s? The NYCLU defended her right to use the streets as a bathroom. Funny thing was, the NYCLU hired her to answer phones but had to fire because she was a racist – she hung up on all the black callers!
The point of this story is not internal 770 politics but the affect this will have on our communities when they flood the streets with mental patients.
After Virginia Tech the laws should be stronger, but the NYCLU will make sure these sick people are not treated and are preyed upon.
Der Shygetz
After Virginia Tech the laws should be stronger, but the NYCLU will make sure these sick people are not treated and are preyed upon.
——————————-
And that is what I am getting at. Do not think for one moment that we do not harbor individuals who could potentially be as dangerous as the Virginia Tech shooter. Does anyone remember Baranes?
There is no place for talk of achdus when it comes to those who, for whatever reason, cannot control their actions and are obviously deluded. How about teaching the Sheva Mitzvois Bnei Noach to Charles Manson? And ahavas Yisroel in this case means getting them into treatment or at least out of the way so they cannot harm innocent people.
We do not have petty differences with the violent ones; they are potentially very dangerous and nothing was done to remove them from our midst after the last outbreak of violence.
Again, my only mistake was misuse of the word Tzfati when I meant only those 10 – 50 nutcases who are truly violent and deluded, and once again I apologize for that.
be proud
to DER SHYGETZ
How do you think the Rebbe would react to all your comments about fellow jews, how much more so, fellow chassidim? you should be ashamed