1200 people trapped in N.O. hospital need evacuation
by Karen Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 at 8:51 PM
karenokeefe@justice.com

1200 people -- including at least 100 very sick ones -- in New Orleans Memorial Hospital need urgent help. They had been waiting for evacuation for hours. They are going without the basics, the hospital is surrounded by water and the water is still rising. They expect to lose electricity soon, and they have little in terms of food and water. By morning, the water level is expected to have risen another nine feet.

Attempts to evacuate these people has resulted in only about 100 people being air-lifted out, and a full evacuation, they are being told, will take several days -- by which time essential supplies and electrical power will be totally gone. There is no air-conditioning nor are there any windows, so the people inside are at risk not only due to water levels and lack of supplies, but also from the heat and lack of proper air ventilation.

I am thinking of you all from here in DC.

The below emails are from Prof. Bill Quigley of Loyola from the hospital.


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Dear Friends: > There are about 1300 people here who
need help. > I > would appreciate it if you could
forward this > information to federal and state
authorities and > press > in the US and in Louisiana to
make sure these sick > people are cared for. > I am in
Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. We > have > nearly
200 very sick people, hundreds of staff and > hundreds
more families. The hospital has some basic >
electricity but many rooms have no electricity and >
many stairwells have no electricity/ There is no > a/c
> and no external windows. We cannot phone out and can
> receive few incoming calls. The water is rising and >
the hospital is already surrounded by water. Once > the
> water hits the first floor, the computers, the >
email, > all intercoms, and all internal communication
inside > the hospital will cease. > Our phones do not
work so this is the only way I > can reach out. This is
not official but what I have > been able to find out
from listening to many, many > people here. > The City
of New Orleans is completely > overwhelmed. No
electricity. Incredible wind > damage > and now a
broken levee that is flooding the city > even >
further. > Please make sure that someone is working to
> make > sure these sick people and their families are
> helped. > They need care. For hours they have been
announcing > that patients are going to be medivaced
(is this a > word?) to other hospitals and shelters.
But little > real action so far. > I know there is
much, much to do out there, but > these sick people need
attention asap. > Please reach out in whatever way you
can to > make > sure these folks are cared for. > Peace
and love, > Bill Quigley

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UPDATE
9:30 cdt > There are well over a 1200 people still in
the > Tenet Memorial Hospital on Napoleon in New
Orleans. > Predictions are that flood waters will
continue to > rise to another 9 feet tonight. Latest
info is that > they have started helicoptering out
people, but very > small numbers, less than 100 since 1
pm. Giving you > this update because we may have no
electricity > before > long.
...

They are > estimating that it may take several days
to evacuate > these people - water electricity food
security all > will be gone by then. Please help by
notifying the > press and the government. People are
hoping that > friends around the country can help out.
Thanks for > giving people hope. Peace, Bill Quigley

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