Katrina investigation focuses on more than one person (deaths)

[wakeme2008]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/21/katrina.hospital/index.html

Katrina investigation focuses on more than one person

By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston
CNN

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- More than one medical professional is under scrutiny as a possible person of interest as Louisiana's attorney general investigates whether hospital workers resorted to euthanasia in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina shattered New Orleans, a source familiar with the investigation has told CNN.

CNN first reported in October that staff members at Memorial Medical Center had discussions about euthanizing patients after the hurricane flooded the city on Monday, August 29, cutting off power and stranding hundreds of thousands of residents. Now, for the first time, Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti has told CNN that allegations of possible euthanasia at Memorial Medical Center are "credible and worth investigating."

..more at link...

[BOSSHOG]

1. Incredibly sad story

I believe the health care professionals were in a no-win situation. Caring for many critically ill patients, then losing electricity, then battling flooding. Now possibly facing investigation. Many of those patients were very old and infirm. What was supposed to be done with them? Last minute evacuations? To where? How? Tough call for all.

[leesa]

2. Excuse, me, but are Brownie, Chertoff and Bush under investigation for

criminal negligence causing the deaths of thousands??

[jobycom]

3. I hope they are indicted and the trial is publicly broadcast at prime time

So that someone can explain to America that New Orleans hospitals were less than a one hour drive from a fully functioning city and that NOT ONE GODDAMN FEDERAL OFFICIAL COULD SEND HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fuck the wiretaps, I want Bush and Brown and Chertoff imprisoned for hundreds of cases of negligent homicide. I want to see pictures of them being thrown in general lockup in a maximum security prison, and then I don't want to hear their names again until their old, expired bodies are hauled out of the stone walls and dumped into the nearest landfill many, many years from now.

But that won't happen. These medical professionals, who were put into a war-like setting because Brown wanted his full hour and half for dinner and Bush wanted his vacation and then his PR stunt and Chertoff just didn't know what the Hell to do, are going to be forced to plea-bargain for some sentence that will include the loss of license and prison sentences, and the real animals will be allowed to go free.

RIP, America. July 4th, 1776-December 12th, 2000. You had a great life, and an untimely death.

[ninkasi]

4. This did not have to happen...

The patients could have been evacuated, if FEMA had not been placed under the incompetent charge of Brown, who was much more concerned with having dinner, and his wardrobe, than doing his job. Bush couldn't be bothered to interrupt his precious vacation, and we know that the private groups who went to help were actually turned away by FEMA.

In light of the aftermath of Katrina, anybody who says that Bush is keeping us safe is an idiot. We have never been more at risk in the history of the United States.

[AnneD]

5. How about doing autopsies on those

that have recently been discovered in homes that had been searched but marked 0 bodies. My guess it that many survived the flood only to die for lack of evacuation. I am a Nurse and I would have do all that I could to help my patients...but if the help never comes, death might be more humane than long term suffering and dieing an agonizing death. I have no problem standing out of Jesus's (or God's)way when he gathers people home. Any one remember the hospital scene in Schindler's List would have an understanding. If you want to have a valid 'culture of life', for God's sake, help the living.

[ninkasi]

6. I agree

and believe that many who survived the actual hurricane died later from starvation, lack of water, or medical attention, waiting for help that didn't come. The mighty United States...unable to rescue a whole city, while t.v. crews could get in, and film. There is no excuse for this. What good does it do to keep people safe from "terrorists", if the same people will be abandoned to acts of nature? I feel sympathy for the medical professionals who were put in this situation.

If one of the elderly, infirm patients had been my own mother, and I had been given the choice of letting her die in fear, and agony, slowly, over days, or letting her slip peacefully into death, I would choose the latter. I would hope that my children would love me enough to make the same choice for me. The crime is not in making the choice, the crime is in being put in that impossible situation in the first place.

[AnneD]

18. Bless you....

you've gotten the picture. Many medical personnel make these choices every day but keep their mouths shut. Yes we have long talks with the families and try to get everyone in agreement. If they can't come to that place,we give the best care we can but we can't work miracles. Quality of live should weigh heavily in the decision.
I personally know one of the Nurses that was trapped in NO General. I never saw anyone so traumatized in my life. She spent an hour in my office talking to me. After 4 months, she is finally looking less shell shocked. They were trapped with precious little security. Thugs with guns trying AND succeeding getting in to get drugs. They evacuated floor by floor to the roof as they lost control. The situation was worse than was broadcast. SO how do they reward these folks that gave all they could.....they put them on trial and make scapegoats of them.
What a swell morale booster and recruitment tool. Doc's and especially Nurses are an endangered species and you want to make examples of them. All I can say is fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

[ninkasi]

19. I hope that nurse

can find some peace. She did nothing wrong. She tried to help per patients, it sounds like to me. As I have said before, for the patients, and the medical professionals to be placed in this situation, for the ones who try so hard to save lives, and to ease pain and suffering, for them to now be facing possible charges based on the choices they were faced with, is intolerable.

The government COULD have evacuated the hospitals, if they had wanted to. Bush was so determined to have his umpteenth vacation, he couldn't be bothered with the suffering of mere peasants. The rest of his administration, especially "heck of a fine job, Brownie", were nothing more than political hacks, put in positions of responsibility as favors.

One other point I'd like to make is this:coping with the aftermath of the hurricane was hard on everybody, but can you imagine coping with your own physical discomfort, the heat, the lack of sanitation, of food, of water, in ADDITION to caring for many other people, some very fragile, must have been hell for the doctors and nurses. Now, some are going to want to judge them for possibly bringing death sooner, if that was the only way they could ease their patient's suffering. Dying in agony is not something anybody wants to do. The medical professionals did a heroic job, and should not be punished for the government's failures.

[Danieljay]

7. CNN: Katrina investigation focuses on more than one person (Euthanasia)

FEMA did nothing to help hospital. This is SO sad.

Beyond words.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/21/katrina.hospital/index.html

"These were grown men who were buckling down to their knees, because they were saying they couldn't believe FEMA was making them stay there and watch people dying. They had decided not to evacuate the DNR patients," McManus said, referring to the patients who had signed "do not resuscitate" forms.

[Ayesha]

8. Tough call

On the one hand, these were desperate circumstances none of us can really imagine, but on the other hand, if what was described in the article actually happened, that is wrong. You don't tell someone you're going to give them something to make them feel better and then kill them. If someone is conscious enough to understand and respond to being talked to, they deserve the right to consent to or oppose being killed, no matter the situation.

[DURHAM D]

10. "... and then kill them."

What do you think Hospice does every day? Its a matter of degrees but ...

[bettyellen]

13. allow a person to die in comfort with some with dignity in a manner

respectful of the patients wishes.
what do YOU think they do?

[jwirr]

14. Hospice takes terminally ill patients and allows THEM to

determine their own course not flood victims who are given no choice. There is a world of difference and if you do not see it then you have never had to sit with a dying friend or relative.

[transeo]

9. They did the right thing

If they had patients who were surely going to die from dehydration etc. and had signed "do not resuscitate" forms, then I think it was the merciful thing to do to euthanize them. I would want to be euthanized in that situation rather than dying a slow death in squalid conditions.

It sounds to me like they are going to try to resurrect the whole Terri Schiavo thing again and try to attack someone who was probably doing what was best. It gives the repubs something to use as a wedge issue and a way for them to distract from the Bush Admin failures during and after Katrina.

[Ladyinblack]

17. They did the right thing

I agree with Transeo. Why should a dying person be put through such a horrendous situation. I see it as a caring act, if they were dying and there was no water, no food, sweltering conditions.etc. I would not put my pets through such a terrible time and I would not put someone I loved and cared for who was dying through such a situation. I would hope that someone would do the same for me.

I agree this gives the Rep. a focus. We can fight about this and forget Bush's latest crime.

[daleo]

11. I hope they expand the investigation to include Bush.

And Brownie, and Cheney, etc.

[ninkasi]

12. The true crime

was the abandonment of U.S. citizens by their government. Bush vacationed, Condi shopped for shoes, and "Brownie" lamented his wardrobe. While they did all of that, people suffered, and died in horrible conditions. People are still living in their vehicles, and tents, with winter approaching, and they are still abandoned.

The crimes committed were by the uncaring, unfeeling, completely selfish administration, who did not, and does not, care what happens to those who can't funnel wealth to them. Bush and Cheney should be impeached and convicted, and the whole administration tried for crimes against humanity, both in Iraq and on our own Gulf Coast. They are a disgrace to this country.

[jwirr]

15. Amen.

[WhiteTara]

16. Cheney bought a house and

KKKarl went to a conference and had some kidney stones removed. Oh, and Brownie looked for dinner reservations. May they all rot in hell