Subj: On the front line

Subj: On the front line
>
> +++++++++
> "A friend of my cousins who's a Physician in NO, sent this to him and
> asked
> to pass it on to all who want to know what's really going on down there.
> Note
> there are many typos and misspellings. I know he's
> exhausted...........Audley"
>
> *******
> (this is now the physician writing.....)
>
> "Thanks to all of you who have sent your notes of concern and your
> prayers.
> I am writing this note on Tuesday at 2PM . 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, MS,
> 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 are 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. They are unfortunately . 'We have better medical
> letter.
> There are ID physicians in at this hotel attending an HiV convention.
> We
> have commandeered the world famous French Quarter Bar to turn into a
> makeshift
> clinic. There is a team of about 7 doctors and PA 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 gargace bags and removed them. All uner police
> excort.
> The looters had to be held back at gun point. 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
> Quarter bar in the hotel, and will start admitting patients today. Many
> with be
> from the hotel, but many will not. We are anticipating to dealing with
> multiple medical problems, medications and and acute injuries. Infection
> and
> perhaps even cholera are anticipated major problems. Food and water
> shortages
> are iminent.
>
> The biggest question to all of us is where is the national guard. We
> hear
> jet fignters and helicopters, but no 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 edify experience. The greatest pain is to think about the loss.
> And how long the rebuid will. And the horror of so many dead people .
>
> PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THING MA Y 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, MD "
> ++++++++