The Peace Corps, which has faced criticism for the medical care it provides to volunteers, will pay $750,000 to settle a lawsuit from the family of a 24-year-old volunteer who died of undiagnosed malaria in Comoros, off the coast of East Africa. The federal government did not admit any guilt or liability. This settlement is unusual under federal tort law, and the Peace Corps has not made similar settlements in the past. The Peace Corps continues to mourn the loss of Ms. Heiderman and remains committed to ensuring the safety of all volunteers. However, it did not comment further “out of respect for the family.”
Ms. Heiderman died alone in a hotel room after complaining to her family about dismissive treatment from her Peace Corps doctor and experiencing various health issues. The inspector general later found problems with her care and concluded that timely treatment could have saved her life. In 2018, legislation was passed to improve the medical care for Peace Corps volunteers, prompted in part by Ms. Heiderman’s death. There have been more recent lawsuits against the Peace Corps related to rescinded invitations for mental health reasons.
The Heidermans accused the Peace Corps of negligent medical care and faulted their officials in Washington for not intervening. Mrs. Heiderman expressed frustration with the Peace Corps’ treatment of her family and stated that the settlement, while not what they wanted, indicates that the organization understands their mistakes.
