US health workers fired for raising virus prep alarm

Hospitals have threatened doctors and nurses with being fired, and some have been terminated, for speaking about working conditions as facilities struggle to cope with surging novel coronavirus cases, according to a report published Tuesday.

Dr. Ming Lin was fired Friday after giving an interview to the Seattle Times newspaper in which he elaborated on a Facebook post where he called for improvements to coronavirus preparedness measures at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomberg News reported.

Lin, who works in the emergency room, said St. Joseph falls short of preparations already instituted at other hospitals, citing specifically a lack of adequate segregation for COVID-19 patients, and a lack of screening measures meant to detect the virus in staffers, including regular temperature checks.