57 year old burn victim Joseph Usher has succumbed to his injuries at the KHMH sometime this morning. Over the past couple weeks Usher was fighting for his life in the intensive care unit at the KHMH - after he was allegedly doused with fuel and then lit on fire by his neighbor. The incident happened on May 13 in his yard at the corner of Antelope Street and Central American Boulevard. Usher was walking through another neighbor's yard to enter his own when he was set on fire. He received severe burns to his head, back, chest, and both arms. Today his family still doesn't know why someone would want to set their loved one on fire. And what makes it even worse is that Usher's family strongly believes that the hospital is partly responsible for his death. They told us more today:..
Josephine Usher, Daughter of the deceased
"I received a call from one of the nurse from the hospital about after 2pm. The nurse told me to come in early because changes have been made with my father. So I called my sister and my aunt and we all went to the hospital, when we reach there the doctor told us that he had passed. They didn't want to tell us over the phone."
"I am upset because three weeks ago when my dad was in the hospital we went there and we were told that we cannot see him due to the nature of his burnt. We were allowed to stay a short distance from the door and watch me from there on his bed."
"Several times in the hospital while we were there we notice that different nurses had been in the hospital room not properly geared. Either they don't have on their head dress or proper gear on their foot. They told us that we cannot go in there because we could take infection to him and to go in the room you have to be properly guard and yet they were not. Ti my belief I believe that they add to the infection that he caught."
Monica Bodden
"What did doctors say caused you dad to succumb to his injuries?"
Josephine Usher, Daughter of the deceased
"The post mortem hasn't been done as yet. I believe it will be done sometime tomorrow. They said that it was the infection and the pneumonia that he caught."
"We went to the police station sometime this afternoon to look for Sergeant Sanchez, but they told us that he would be coming to work at 1 o' clock tonight. They told us that he already arrested the person that did this. We received rumours from the streets that the man was jealous of my dad and his common law wife because they were close friends."
"It is more than hard because what hurt me the most is because my dad was calling me this Wednesday. My sister, my niece and I was at the hospital and he was awake, he was in a lot of pain. He had a tube down his throat, but he was trying to talk and he was calling me, he was upset, he was making a lot of noise and the nurse that was in the room took out her phone because her cell phone rang, she took out the phone and answered it. Her phone has a lot of germs. We wanted to take pictures but the nurses were around and they told us that we were not allowed to take pictures."
"You have to practice what you preach, besides from that I was asking if I can be geared up and go in there. I wanted to tape him because he look like he had a lot to say and he passed without telling me what he wanted to."
Monica Bodden
"You think that the hospital played a role in his death?"
Josephine Usher, Daughter of the deceased
"They did because several times ( I am not trying to bring down the nurses, because it's not all of them ) I mean if they can do that when we are there then what else do they do when we are not there."
"One of the cleaners at one time when we went there, we were just coming out of the room without any gear on her feet; just her shoes, so we ask her why is it that you are in here like this and she said that it is not my fault. The nurse said that I can go in and clean. So then we ask the nurse why is it that she was like that and the nurse said that one of the covering for her feet, she had already clean the room."
"We left because after that they told us that we had to go and give them a break because we had to go do an x-ray. We ask what was the problem, if he had an infection and they said that they don't know. When we came back the same nurse was in the room without any head gear and we were upset."
"She was frightened when she saw us and she was like 'oh my God' she went out and came in back the room. You already gave infection to this man and if you can do it then why don't you give us a break to go and see this man."
According to a KHMH spokesperson - Usher died due to complications of being burnt.
We understand that Usher's neighbor who is accused of committing the vicious act has since been picked up by police.
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