Health care falls short in South L.A.
By Emily Henry, Posted 4/7/09
Listen to the full audio story
- southlahealth.mp3
Today, April 7, is World Health Day. Taking a closer look at South L.A.'s health care infrastructure, we find the area is lacking in both facilities and workers. A report released in December compares South L.A.'s health care to that of the greater Los Angeles area, and states that the Southside healthcare falls far short of providing what is available in other parts of the city. There is only one hospital bed for every 1000 citizens, half the number available on the West Side. The Martin Luther King Jr. Harbor Hospital will open up hundreds of new beds in 2011, which will help relieve the burdens on existing health care facilities.
And our Tuesday producer Timothy Werth chatted with Nina Avarro, an expert on disaster preparedness in L.A. County Hospitals.
-In South L.A., 30% of adults under age 64 lack health insurance. 22% for L.A. County as a whole, and 12% in West L.A.
-South L.A. has 11 pediatricians per 100,000 children. L.A. County has 57 pediatricians per 100,000 children
-South LA has 6 times as many liquor stores as the county in general
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