Ruth Zalph: Belhaven hospital must be saved

What does a hospital emergency room mean? To me, it was the difference between life and death.

After an unhappy encounter with a nest of fire ants, I was fortunate enough to quickly get to UNC Hospital’s emergency room and given intravenous medication, an injection to prevent anaphylactic shock and monitored for hours. Had I been in Belhaven, instead of Chapel Hill, I would be dead today.

Regarding the Dec. 1 editorial “Hospital need in Belhaven”: Vident Health bought out Belhaven’s community hospital in 2011, promising to upgrade it. Instead, in 2013, they closed it, claiming that it was unprofitable. Belhaven residents are dying for lack of emergency room services.

Town officials and community groups worked relentlessly to buy back their hospital, but current owner Pantego Creek LLC has refused their reasonable offers. They plan to demolish it and build condominiums. A judge’s 10 day restraining order holds them back.

Desperate to save the hospital, Mayor Adam O’Neal has been pleading for help from Gov. Pat McCrory . Without his intervention, people will continue to die needlessly in Belhaven, like the boy run over by a tractor who died waiting to be transported to the nearest hospital. Which side are you on, Gov. McCrory? Life or Death?

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Ruth Zalph: Belhaven hospital must be saved."