Falsehood Alert - CNN re: Katrina euthanisizing....

[annabanana]

Upcoming report on reports of euthanization in a NO hospital
"Were they driven by the CHAOS outside in the streets?"

I thought that the report of 'chaos' in the streets was pretty much put to bed awhile ago. What are they up to?

[tx_dem41]

1. Two things...there WAS chaos in the streets...

just not to the level that was reported. Second, whether the reports were correct, the people in the hospitals were hearing those same reports via police radio channels, EMS workers, grapevine, etc.

[BOSSHOG]

2. There was indeed chaos in the streets

not only in New Orleans but in the burbs as well. And there were reports of looting around hospitals for drugs. I think what they may be up to is dramatic headlines but their bottomline story is fact based. Chaos = euthanasia ?!? Don't know about that.

[FearofFutility]

3. I'm a little suspicious too

But, today I saw an interview of a doctor who was there, and he saw another MD standing next to a critical patient with a handful of syringes. He heard her say, "I'm going to give you something that will make you feel more comfortable."
He never saw her actually administer anything, but it is highly unusual for MD's in hospitals to give medications. Additionally, why did she have a handful of syringes? Again, that would be highly unusual. You administer medications one at a time so you don't mix them up. She must have had the same medication in all of them. Why? What were her intentions? This MD, I think her name is Dr. Pou initially gave CNN several interviews, but she has since hired an attorney.

[Lex]

4. Many blacks now say the "chaos on the streets" was racist hype.

By and large anyway.

[FearofFutility]

5. I just reread your post and I see that

your questioning the chaos in the streets, not the possible euthanasia. Disregard my previous post.

[jobycom]

6. Here's a confirmed witness account of conditions. It was indeed chaos

The media did overplay the chaos, and a lot of stories--like the murders and rapes in the Super Dome, and the snipers targeting rescue workers, were false, or way overblown. But anyway, here's what one pathologist wrote the day after the hurricane. Some of it may not be true, but it is what they believed was happening, and some of it is eyewitness account:

0-------------
Aug. 31, 2005

This is a dispatch from New Orleans from Dr. Greg Henderson, a pathologist who recently moved there from Wilmington:

Thanks to all of you who have sent your notes of concern and your prayers. I am writing this note on Tuesday at 2 p.m. I wanted to update all of you as to the situation here. I don't know how much information you are getting but I am certain it is more than we are getting. Be advised that almost everything I am telling you is from direct observation or rumor from reasonable sources. They are allowing limited internet access, so I hope to send this dispatch today.

Personally, my family and I are fine. My family is safe in Jackson, Miss., and I am now a temporary resident of the Ritz Carleton Hotel in New Orleans. I figured if it was my time to go, I wanted to go in a place with a good wine list. In addition, this hotel is in a very old building on Canal Street that could and did sustain little damage. Many of the other hotels sustained significant loss of windows, and we expect that many of the guests may be evacuated here.

Things were obviously bad yesterday, but they are much worse today. Overnight the water arrived. Now Canal Street (true to its origins) is indeed a canal. The first floor of all downtown buildings is underwater. I have heard that Charity Hospital and Tulane are limited in their ability to care for patients because of water. Ochsner is the only hospital that remains fully functional. However, I spoke with them today and they too are on generator and losing food and water fast.

The city now has no clean water, no sewerage system, no electricity, and no real communications. Bodies are still being recovered floating in the floods. We are worried about a cholera epidemic. Even the police are without effective communications. We have a group of armed police here with us at the hotel that is admirably trying to exert some local law enforcement. This is tough because looting is now rampant. Most of it is not malicious looting. These are poor and desperate people with no housing and no medical care and no food or water trying to take care of themselves and their families. Unfortunately, the people are armed and dangerous. We hear gunshots frequently. Most of Canal street is occupied by armed looters who have a low threshold for discharging their weapons. We hear gunshots frequently. The looters are using makeshift boats made of pieces of styrofoam to access. We are still waiting for a significant national guard presence.

The health care situation here has dramatically worsened overnight. Many people in the hotel are elderly and small children. Many other guests have unusual diseases. There are (Infectious Disease) physicians at this hotel attending an HIV confection. We have commandered the world famous French Quarter Bar to turn into an makeshift clinic. There is a team of about seven doctors and PAs and pharmacists. We anticipate that this will be the major medical facility in the central business district and French Quarter.

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the Walgreens on Canal under police escort. The pharmacy was dark and full of water. We basically scooped the entire drug sets into garbage bags and removed them. All under police excort. The looters had to be held back at gunpoint. After a dose of prophylactic Cipro I hope to be fine.

In all we are faring well. We have set up a hospital in the the French Qarter bar in the hotel, and will start admitting patients today. Many will be from the hotel, but many will not. We are anticipating dealing with multiple medical problems, medications and and acute injuries. Infection and perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems. Food and water shortages are imminent.

The biggest question to all of us is where is the National Guard. We hear jet fignters and helicopters, but o real armed presence, and hence the rampant looting. There is no Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

In a sort of cliché way, this is an edifying experience. One is rapidly focused away from the transient and material to the bare necessities of life. It has been challenging to me to learn how to be a primary care phyisican. We are under martial law so return to our homes is impossible.

I don't know how long it will be and this is my greatest fear. Despite it all, this is a soul-edifying experience. The greatest pain is to think about the loss. And how long the rebuild will take. And the horror of so many dead people.

PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THING MAY BE INTERSTED IN A DISPATCH from the front. I will send more according to your interest. Hopefully their collective prayers will be answered. By the way, suture packs, sterile gloves and stethoscopes will be needed as the Ritz turns into a MASH.

Greg Henderson

http://www.snopes.com/katrina/personal/henderson.asp

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. The article on CNN page reads like the doctors were panicked

and tired and didn't want to bother with the patients.

My take is that they were running out of medications, the patients were dying, and no help was arriving, so they were looking at the patients dying in terrible pain, or dying comfortably.

Either way, I'm pointing the finger at Bushco and "you're doing a great job, Brownie" Brown.