New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Rally

By Elizabeth Zabitz

A rally on July 31st was held at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI).  The purpose was to express the urgent need to keep this institution from being closed by Mount Sinai/Beth Israel Hospital.  NYEEI is a highly regarded institution which has not only helped New Yorkers but people from all over the country. It provides multi medical treatment services to those are vision or hearing impaired. The NYEEI has been a part of the lower Manhattan neighborhood for over 200 years. It is also a teaching hospital, with the commitment to train future doctors to offer their patients the most up-to-date medical treatments.  This infirmary has its own pharmacy on the premises and provides individual patients necessary medicines that they might not access at their local pharmacy.

This rally was well attended and Dr. Paul Lee of the NYEEI stated many of the services that were provided have already been discontinued. Guest speakers included Dr. Sharon McLennon-Wier, Executive Director of the Center for Independence of the Disabled,  Congress Member Jerrold Nadler,  Assembly Member Harvy Epstein, City Council Member Carlina Rivera, Mike Schweinsburg, President of the 504 Democratic Club, 1199 workers and Andrew Berman of the Village Historical Society.

It would be devastating for patients who depend on these wonderful doctors and staff at the NYEEI to have to navigate their way to other parts of Manhattan or other boroughs in order to receive their much-needed medical treatments and continued care.
Those in attendance at the rally were asked to show their support to save the NYEEI by contacting their local officials and getting the word out that this hospital must be saved from closing.

It is imperative that Mount Sinai be held accountable in their actions. We cannot afford to lose another hospital in our neighborhood. It is time to put a stop to a corporation that supposedly is “non-for-profit” to go ahead and, without any warning to the public, strike a real estate deal that steals from the public the very services it is supposed to provide.