Strained by Katrina, a Hospital Faced Deadly Choices - NYTimes.com
If you’re in a building with no electricity, no running water, severely limited supplies, and nearly 140 sick people you need to get out of the building with the highest rates of survival possible, I think it’s safe to say that no, you’re not a hospital anymore. Additionally, when the doctors and nurses are exhausted, stressed and have been without sleep for days, I think it’s safe to say that you are being completely absurd in your expectations for a level of care that is anything even remotely comparable to daily operations.
It is disgusting that this situation was allowed to happen to begin with. Disgusting. And the ire at the doctors, I feel, is misdirected. They may have made poor choices, but they were in a situation where they had very few good ones.
(via robot-heart-politics)
agreed. there was a story on npr about this earlier this week — and seriously, what were they supposed to do? i’m not saying they did the RIGHT thing, but shit if i’d do much better in that position. i’d save who i can. and i’m not sure i’d be able to extend ‘can’ to everyone.
