Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Katrina Syndrome
Boy, I just have to vent. I had one of those calls that reminded me so much of Hurricaine Katrina. We had several patients come into the ER with police escort. They had been displaced by the communities recent break up of a prescription/illeagal drug ring and as a result were breaking into every house and pharmacy they could to get their fix. It was so much like the wonderful folks we saw in the Superdome after the flood cut them off from their fix.
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2 comments:
Vent away Throckmorton...blogs are good for that. :)
That behavior is so frustrating and infuriating. And what a waste of their lives and it is a shame what they do to innocent people. And it's a shame how they abuse the medical staff and aren't appreciative.
I think it is awesome that you took time out of to help the people affected by Katrina. It must have been frustrating, heartbreaking and rewarding. I give you and others that volunteered their services a lot of credit...seriously!
I don't know how those poor people got through all that. The bathroom facilities were disgusting no water or food, etc. and having to be concerned about the rising water and crime. Having no water would freak me out. I can't stand being thirsty and actually that is the worst thing about being a pre-op patient. Sorry-digressed. My heart was breaking for a little crying baby that didn't have water or food for a long time. I still don't understand why they couldn't get supplies in to everyone. I know they were being shot at and those jerks should have been shot in the foot or something. I know that isn't very compassionate of me but the idea of these idiots shooting at the very people who are trying to bring in assistance to help everyone in need is incomprehensible to me.
And it was so disturbing to hear the communications of the hospital staff who were having to evacuate to higher floors because of rising water. And then if I remember correctly one nearby hospital had some rescues and the other did not. I probably have that mixed up. I think Charity Hospital was one of them and I don't recall the name of the other. But it's a huge deal to have to relocate patients in a hospital. Shoot...just a bed swap under normal conditions can send an overworked staff into a tizzy. But having to relocate critically ill people... Then the nursing home people that drowned. Ugh! people forever losing their homes, caskets floating down the streets...the whole thing was surreal.
I don't think it is fair to blame it all on President Bush either. That was a long time in the making and the repairs got past everyone's watch..or so it seems. And when people started playing the race card... that really irritated me because Mississippi suffered too and had a heavier white population.
Hi Throckmorton- just adding to my previous comment. (SeaSpray to lazy to sign out of SnowLite)
I happened to catch part of a documentary last night that was about the structure of the Superdome and had clips of the devastation going on at the time.
First of all...wow...that is one immense, impressive place! I think they said it held 35,000 people during the storm and days after.?
Did you and other docs see many of those people? Not to mention people that may have come to you from elsewhere? I remember you wrote about this previously and you had a snafu with red tape or something.
Anyway,you all must've been exhausted or does your adrenaline kick in for something like that?
That was such a humanitarian thing to do. While most of us just watched remotely in the comfort of our homes...people like you compassionately gave of their time energy and finances to go there in the midst of the chaos and suffering to offer your assistance.
The structure is anchored so many feet underground and was so well built. They came to within inches of having to evacuate to another part of the dome and losing their generator to the rising water. Thank God THAT didn't happen! That many people in the dark...not a good thing, especially with some criminals in the mix.
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