In March, the Covington family left Perley Mai Covington in the capable hands of the Kings County Hospital ER staff. They left just to get a change of clothing.
When they were home getting the change of clothing, Annie Alford, Covington’s daughter received a disturbing call. Alford says that the call made it clear that she needed to return to Kings County Hospital because the staff had given her mother the wrong medication and it would be a matter of time before Covington died.
According to Alford and her sisters, they never thought this would happen; instead they were confident that their 77-year-old mother was recuperating and were hopeful that she would be released from the hospital that day. When they left the hospital that day she had been stale and she was talking.
When the daughters of the victim returned to the hospital they learned that is was already too late, their mother had passed away.
The director admitted to the family that someone had given Perley Mai Covington the wrong medication.
The Covington family reasonably wanted answers, but they had to overcome obstacle after obstacle, it really seemed as though the hospital did not want them getting to the bottom of the situation.
The Medical Examiner’s office was pressed for autopsy, but it took months for the autopsy to finally be released.
According to the autopsy Covington suffered a seizure due to being administered lidocaine, a local anesthetic. She died of acute lidocaine toxicity.
According to ABC Eye Witness News, Kings County has stated that “We have apologized to the family and offered our deepest condolences. This should not have happened. The nurse who made the mistake violated our safety procedures and has been suspended pending termination.”
Oddly enough this is all news to the Covington family, who claims to not have been contacted by Kings County in the first place.
