Dr. Anna Pou
- Submitted by: rdixon
- Views: 611
- Category: Politics: Moral Issues
- Date Submitted: 07/07/2012 04:59 PM
- Pages: 3
- Report this Essay
Dr. Anna Pou
On August 29, 2005 Dr. Anna Pou an oncology surgeon, was at work at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina hit hard and flooded the lower level of the hospital, generators were utilized and food and water were available although limited. By Tuesday, August 30th the water rose, knocked out the generators and caused the hospital to be in total darkness. The temperature rose to 110°, the toilets backed up and the smell was rancid, burning the nostrils of the workers and the 200 patients that were still in the hospital. Seven medical personnel stayed with patients, others were on the roof coordinating rescue efforts with the few boats and helicopters that showed up.
Under the military’s orders, the staff did reverse triage. The healthiest patients were rescued first in order to save the greatest number of people. What seemed evil was a utilitarian ethical move, numbers matter, the more affected the more important the result. Patients needed to be moved up stairs being carried by medical staff. Thirty four died waiting for rescuers. Assessments had to be made regarding the likelihood that a person could survive the ordeal. A long-term acute care facility at the hospital cared for elderly patients with multiple problems. These patients were on the seventh and eighth floors and had not been moved to the emergency room. Guard helicopters were arriving with less frequency and resources were scarce. The staff was tiring and realizing they could not evacuate some of the residents. A decision was made to sedate some of the level 3 patients with morphine and midazolam to ease their anxiety, as they (the patients) knew they had to wait longer to be evacuated.
After four days the hospital was empty of all surviving patients and staff. Forty five decomposing bodies were found in the hospital, more than at any other comparable hospital.
Dr. Pou was one of the last to leave the hospital and went home to Baton Rouge where she was...
On August 29, 2005 Dr. Anna Pou an oncology surgeon, was at work at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina hit hard and flooded the lower level of the hospital, generators were utilized and food and water were available although limited. By Tuesday, August 30th the water rose, knocked out the generators and caused the hospital to be in total darkness. The temperature rose to 110°, the toilets backed up and the smell was rancid, burning the nostrils of the workers and the 200 patients that were still in the hospital. Seven medical personnel stayed with patients, others were on the roof coordinating rescue efforts with the few boats and helicopters that showed up.
Under the military’s orders, the staff did reverse triage. The healthiest patients were rescued first in order to save the greatest number of people. What seemed evil was a utilitarian ethical move, numbers matter, the more affected the more important the result. Patients needed to be moved up stairs being carried by medical staff. Thirty four died waiting for rescuers. Assessments had to be made regarding the likelihood that a person could survive the ordeal. A long-term acute care facility at the hospital cared for elderly patients with multiple problems. These patients were on the seventh and eighth floors and had not been moved to the emergency room. Guard helicopters were arriving with less frequency and resources were scarce. The staff was tiring and realizing they could not evacuate some of the residents. A decision was made to sedate some of the level 3 patients with morphine and midazolam to ease their anxiety, as they (the patients) knew they had to wait longer to be evacuated.
After four days the hospital was empty of all surviving patients and staff. Forty five decomposing bodies were found in the hospital, more than at any other comparable hospital.
Dr. Pou was one of the last to leave the hospital and went home to Baton Rouge where she was...