In August, we reported on the China PCV Nick Castle (pictured above) who died from an undiagnosed intestinal disorder in 2013. In November, the Peace Corps inspector general released their report on what went wrong.
Here are some of their conclusions from a New York Times story:
The inspector general’s report, which has not been made public, cites numerous medical lapses strongly suggesting that Mr. Castle’s death could in fact have been prevented, although it does not explicitly blame the Peace Corps.
More broadly, the report calls on the Peace Corps to make changes to its health care system, including giving its doctors more thorough training in gastrointestinal illnesses, the most common health complaint from volunteers. It also suggests the agency improve record-keeping.
Let’s hope the Peace Corps has heard these concerns and made sure nothing like this happens again.