A Gap in Clinic Safety

The shocking death last month of a 13-month-old boy three days after being brought with flu-like symptoms to a Santa Ana clinic has prompted a needed review of area facilities by local authorities. Parents contemplating using such clinics also need to understand how to check into the licensing of doctors so as to prevent future problems.

Police earlier this month issued a murder warrant for the arrest of a man who had posed as a physician, and they accused his wife of tampering with medical records as part of a cover-up. But for Alicia Ortiz and Salvador Martinez, the parents of Christopher Martinez, a decision to try a clinic recommended by a friend when their child was suffering from flu-like symptoms turned out to be every parent’s worst nightmare. Police said the baby was given five injections of an unknown substance and parents were instructed not to feed or give him water. Three days later, the child was dead.

On May 1, police announced that they would investigate all such storefront medical clinics in an attempt to verify the license of every physician at the clinic. There are many such facilities in strip malls and older buildings in Santa Ana, where there are many poor immigrants. Some of these people are ready victims of fraudulent clinics because they are afraid that they will be deported if they go elsewhere.

The clinics also draw patients because of their convenience, and as an alternative to public health clinics, where there are long lines, and to the emergency room, which is expensive.

Any one of these factors can make for trouble, as indeed was the situation in the Martinez case. The state Medical Board of California, which oversees licensing, says it lacks the manpower to police these clinics sufficiently. The city says it only issues a business license. Clearly, there is a gap in oversight that could cause problems in an environment where unlicensed clinics thrive.

The question is whether there are more such tragedies waiting to happen. The city is right to do what it can, but there is no substitute for better oversight in general and spot checking of specific clinics. Parents can also check on doctors to see if they have any disciplinary complaints against them; the medical board’s consumer information unit can be reached at [916] 263-2382 or by computer at https://www.medbd.ca.gov. To prevent tragedy, doing homework and using common sense go a long way.