California ER Doctor Caught On Video Berating Patient Suffering “Panic Attack”

LOS GATOS, CA. (THECOUNT) — Emergency room doctor, Dr. Beth Keegstra, has been suspended after a video surfaced of the good doctor cursing and mocking a young man said be experiencing an anxiety attack.

Keegstra, a contract doctor with El Camino Hospital in Los Gatos, was suspended after she was recorded on June 11 questioning whether a patient was sick or just looking for drugs. The man was claiming to be experiencing breathing difficulties, a known side effect of Klonopin, the drug he was seeking at the time of the incident.

20-year-old Samuel Bardwell‘s father, who filmed the video, later told reporters that his son suffers “anxiety attacks” and was trying to obtain the powerful drug Klonopin when confronted by Dr. Keegstra.

In a statement, the hospital told ABC News, “We have expressed our sincere apologies and are working directly with the patient on this matter… Our contracted provider for emergency services has been notified to permanently remove this physician from the list of approved physicians assigned to provide emergency care at our hospitals.”

Klonopin is classified as a sedative. It is prescribed to treat seizures, panic disorder, and anxiety. It is considered a controlled substance. Use of the drug can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination. Combining with other substances, particularly alcohol, can slow breathing and possibly lead to death.