Depew man says elderly are at risk at Quest Diagnostics site

Mark Dischner took his mother, 89, for a blood test at a Quest Diagnostics site in Depew on Monday and says they waited in unsafe conditions for over an hour.

AFTER THE CRASH.ALSO TONIGHT -- ONEFAMILY IS RAISINGSOME SERIOUSHEALTH CONCERNS --AFTER THEIR RECENTTRIP TO A LOCALHEALTH CENTER.THE FAMILY HAS NOWFILED A COMPLAINTWITH THE NEW YORKSTATE HEALTHDEPARTMENT.BECAUSE AS 7EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER TAYLOREPPS TELLS US -- THEYCLAIM THIS FACILITYWAS NOT FOLLOWINGPROPER SAFETYPROTOCOLS...PUTTING PATIENTS ATRISK.ON MONDAYAFTERNOON, 89-YEAR-OLD NORMADISCHNER WENT TOTHE QUESTDIAGNOSTICS SITE INDEPEW FOR AROUTINE BLOOD TEST.EXCEPT THIS TRIP WASANYTHING BUTROUTINE..NORMA "I WASSTANDING THEREALMOST 2 HOURS."SHE SAYS THEREWERE MANY OTHERSWAITING AS WELL..NORMA "THERE WEREELDERLY PEOPLEHOLDING UP THE WALL.I WOULD SAY THEREWAS 25 MAYBE 30PEOPLE AND THEYWEREN'T SIX FEETAPART I'LL TELL YOUTHAT."HER SON SNAPPEDTHIS PHOTO OF THECROWD WHILE THEYWAITED.NORMA "THAT'S A GOODPICTURE WHEN THEYSTARTED WEEDINGOUT, YOU SHOULD'VESEEN WHEN WEWALKED IN, IT WASBUSIER THAN THAT?

OHYES.

AND THERE WAS APERSON WHO WASCOUGHING ALL THEWHILE.SHE SAYS THECOUGHING MADE HERFEEL UNSAFE, SO SHEAND HER SON ASKEIF THEY COULD WAITOUTSIDE.AN EMPLOYEE, SHESAYS, TOLD THEM NONORMA "WE COULDN'TGO OUTSIDE AND WEWERE HELD HOSTAGE IGUESS YOU WOULDCALL IT."DISCHNER SAYS THEYWEREN'T TAKINGTEMPERATURES ATTHE DOOR, ONLYONCE YOUR NAMEWAS CALLED..AND THERE WAS NOEMPLOYEE IN THEWAITING ROOM TOSUPERVISE.AFTER TWO HOURS,SHE DECIDED TOLEAVE..NORMA "THEY LET YOUSIT THERE FOR TWOHOURS AND NEVERSAID A WORD, I NEVERHAD ANY TROUBLEBEFORE."SHE AND HER SONHAVE NOW FILED ACOMPLAINT WITH THENEW YORK STATEHEALTH DEPARTMENT..NORMA "WELL THSHOULD ADHERE TOTHE RULES."WE REACHED OUT TOQUEST DIAGNOSTICSFOR A RESPONSE.

ASPOKESPERSON SAYSTHEY ARE LOOKINGINTO THE SITUATION..AND THAT THEY HAVEPROTOCOLS IN PLACETO ENSURE THESAFETY OF PATIENTSANDEMPLOYEES..INLCUDING CLEANING, SOCIDISTANCING AND WAITBY TEXT.TAYLOR "I SPOKE WITHSOME PEOPLE WHOSTOPPED BY AND THEYSAY IT HAS BEEN BUSYAT THIS SITE, BUTSPECIFICALLY IN THEAFTERNOON."NORMA "I WENT THISMORNING, VERY EARLYTHIS MORNING, WELL ITWASN'T BAD AT ALL IHAVE TO ADMIT."DISCHNER WARNSOTHERS TO AVOIDGOING IN THE MIDDLEOF THE DAY.NORMA "I WOULD JUSTGO VERY EARLY."IN DEPEW, TAYLOREPPS, 7EWN.