Nurses returning from Puerto Rico accuse the federal government of leaving people to die

[babylonsister]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/26/16553748/puerto-rico-nurses-fema


Nurses returning from Puerto Rico accuse the federal government of leaving people to die
"We cannot be silent while millions of people continue to endure these conditions."
Updated by Alexia Fernández Campbell@[e-mail] Oct 26, 2017, 4:10pm EDT



The nation's largest nurses union condemned the federal government's emergency response in Puerto Rico on Thursday for "delaying necessary humanitarian aide to its own citizens and leaving them to die."

The stinging criticism came from members of the nonprofit National Nurses United, speaking on Capitol Hill with Democratic members of Congress after a two-week humanitarian mission to Puerto Rico. About 50 volunteer nurses visited two dozen towns in urban and rural areas, and described the desperation of Puerto Ricans — even five weeks after Hurricane Maria hit the island — as worse than anything they had witnessed on other humanitarian missions, including the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake in Haiti.

The official death toll from the storm so far is 51, though Vox's own reporting suggests the actual number of deaths could be in the hundreds.

snip//

The nurses union said it had put out a report about its findings in Puerto Rico but the FEMA administrator in Puerto Rico has yet to return the union’s calls to discuss them.

Here is what most concerned them from their experience on the ground:

People standing in line for hours in the sun for food and water, with federal workers giving them paperwork instead of distributing supplies
Residents living in soaked homes without roofs, where dangerous black mold is spreading and leading to respiratory problems
Rural towns that have never gotten food and water supplies, and yet have no running water and no electricity
An outbreak of leptospirosis, a dangerous bacterial disease that has already claimed lives; as of Thursday, four deaths have been attributed to this outbreak
Multiple communities without clean water that are at risk of the outbreak of water-borne illness epidemics

more...

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/26/16553748/puerto-rico-nurses-fema

[madaboutharry]

1. The people in power don't care.

They want a tax cut, everyone else can go to hell as far as they are concerned.

I am so ashamed of this government.

[Not Ruth]

2. IMHO over 4000 people died, yet where is the accurate death count?

[metalbot]

8. How do you get to that number?

Because it seems sort of arbitrary.

[Not Ruth]

11. Normal death rate of 82/day times 36 days equals 2952, double it due to hurricane

Without a hurricane, 82 people die on Puerto Rico daily (3.411 million population, 8.8 per thousand annual death rate, 365 days in a year)

[oasis]

3. Personal accounts will come to light. Books and film documentaries

are going to expose how badly the Puerto Rican people were treated in this crisis.

[SunSeeker]

4. This is a horror show, except it's real.

[onecent]

5. Time to get Dotar in this again.

[Dustlawyer]

6. Our MSM has moved on. Attention span of a nat.

[yuiyoshida]

7. JUST FUCK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY...

ITS A BAG OF ASSHOLES....They need to pay, and lets hope that includes Impeachment!

[iluvtennis]

12. Ditto

[lindysalsagal]

9. They. Don't. Vote.

They. Don't. Exist.

According to the powers that be.

[blueinredohio]

10. I hope they got documentation of what they are saying otherwise you know

it will be fake news and the nurses should shout this from the rooftops. Tell and show everyone and every way you can

[Lucinda]

13. KNR Thank you!

[workinclasszero]

14. The Federal government just cut funding for children's health care

Yes they are leaving you to die PR and millions of other men, women and children on the mainland as well.

Why are people acting shocked about this? Don't they get it?

The republican party is actively trying to kill off MILLIONS of non-rich Americans!