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Who was Dr Susan Moore? Black woman who accused Indiana hospital of racism over Covid-19 treatment dies

Moore got viral after sharing a video from her hospital bed in which she claimed that she was not provided with proper care due to her race

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: A Black woman who claimed that she was not getting proper treatment for coronavirus in an Indiana hospital because of her race has died. Her family said that Dr Susan Moore, 52, lost her battle against the deadly virus on Sunday, December 20. The New York Post reported that her cousin also tweeted about her death but the post has been deleted now. Reports stated that on November 29, Moore was diagnosed with Covid-19. She soon got admitted to Indiana University Health hospital.

But she got viral after sharing a video from her hospital bed in which she claimed that she was not provided with proper care due to her race. She also alleged that she had to desperately request for a CT scan and remdesivir - an antiviral drug given to the patient suffering from Covid-19. In her Facebook message, Moore wrote, “I had to beg to get the Remdesivir because Dr. Bannec said my chest x-ray was normal, I then had to beg for a CT of my chest which I finally got and it showed large mediastinal lymphadenopathy right lower lobe infiltrate in a new left lower lobe infiltrate.

“I had to beg to get the Remdesivir because Dr. Bannec said my chest x-ray was normal. I then had to beg for a CT of my chest which I finally got and it showed large mediastinal lymphadenopathy right lower lobe infiltrate in a new left lower lobe infiltrate. Next thing I know stat stat CT angiogram was ordered for my neck which showed new infiltrates in my lungs superiorly and new pleural effusion since December 1 in addition to new mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Next thing I know I’m getting a phone call saying what can we get for your pain. Why do I have to prove that there’s something wrong with me in order for my pain to be treated. I have informed the patient advocate.” She said that the patient advocate “left me wanting,” and told her to shift to another hospital.

Moore was discharged from the hospital on December 7, and admited to another hospital just 12 hours later. There she received treatment for a bacterial pneumonia in addition to Covid-19 pneumonia, but her health deteriorated. She had to be intubated on December 10 before she died.

In the social media video, Moore was heard saying, “This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home and they don’t know how to fight for themselves. I had to talk to somebody, maybe the media, somebody, to let people know how I’m being treated up in this place.”

She also stated that she “was in so much pain from my neck, my neck hurt so bad. I was crushed. He made me feel like a drug addict and he knows I’m a physician.” Moore alleged that despite finding new damage to her lungs, doctors did not immediately give her painkillers. “And that nurse was telling me, ‘Oh, I was marching in Black Lives Matter.’ I told her, ‘No, I don’t believe none of that. Not one bit. Not one iota. You wouldn’t even know how to march. Probably can’t even spell it,'” the victim charged.

She added: “I put forth and I maintain if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that. And that man never came back and apologized.”

Meanwhile, the hospital in question has not specifically commented on Moore’s allegations, but in a statement it said, “As an organization committed to equity and reducing racial disparities in healthcare, we take accusations of discrimination very seriously and investigate every allegation. Treatment options are often agreed upon and reviewed by medical experts from a variety of specialties, and we stand by the commitment and expertise of our caregivers and the quality of care delivered to our patients every day.”

Moore was born in Jamaica and raised in Michigan. Her family said she studied engineering at Kettering University in Flint and received her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.

A lot of people on Twitter expressed their views after Moore’s story came to light. One person tweeted, “She had to advocate for herself and was STILL ignored. Do you see how terrifying this is for people who don't have a voice???” Another wrote, “Today, I wanted to speak out on behalf of a fellow Black woman physician, Dr. Susan Moore, to not let our stories go unheard Dr. Moore passed away last night due to COVID-19. Sadly, while so many have fallen victim, her story is marred by systemic racism, even as a doctor.” “Okay for those allies that feign ignorance when shit goes down, let me put you on notice: right now Black women are mourning the loss of Dr. Susan Moore. We didn’t personally know her, but we see ourselves in her,” the third user added.