A measureable and significant increase in avoidable deaths was reported in testimony given to informational briefing on state administration cutbacks in adult mental health services on Tuesday, March 16, 2010. This briefing was an opportunity for the public to give testimony, following previous briefings by the administration.
The first testimony was taken under oath, and after just a few minutes the news came out—a 36% increase in deaths 2009 over 2008 has been recorded.
These avoidable deaths can be attributed to cutbacks in Hawaii state services to Department of Health adult mental health patients.
Continue reading for a video of the first few minutes of testimony.
Yes, the Lingle administration is planning more cuts. We heard that services now provided by the Adult Mental Health Division of the Department of Health will be rolled into the QExA managed care system. Unfortunately, it was reported also that this could cut off access to psychiatrists on Maui and perhaps other Neighbor Islands.
Unless something is done, predictably, more people will die because of these service cuts.
Hawaii's infamous Furlough Fridays that crippled K12 education continue today with no solution so far. Will we be as ineffective about stopping the avoidable deaths caused by heartless service cuts?
And why have there not been protests or even resignations from within the Department of Health over these deadly cutbacks? Do doctors still take the Hippocratic Oath to cause no harm?