Report: Lake City hospital sent home starving boy

The Minnesota Department of Health has found a hospital in southeastern Minnesota violated federal regulations when it released a severely disabled and malnourished boy from its emergency room without an exam.

The report released Thursday says a nurse in Lake City Medical Center's emergency department granted the boy's parents' request to send him home with only a note saying he was well enough to attend school.

The department says the violations occurred because the boy was not examined and the visit was not properly logged when it happened March 4.

Social services intervened the next day and directed an ambulance to take the boy from his home to another hospital, where he was admitted for several days with severe malnutrition and uncontrolled seizures.

A spokeswoman says the hospital is aware of the situation and takes it very seriously.

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