CNN: Dozens subpoenaed in hospital deaths (NOLA)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/26/katrina.hospital/index.html

Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. has issued 73 subpoenas in an investigation into allegations that euthanasia may have taken place at one of the hospitals flooded by Hurricane Katrina, he told CNN Wednesday night.

The subpoenas were served on employees of all levels at Memorial Medical Center, which is owned by Tenet Healthcare, because "cooperation, lately, has not been as good as I had hoped," Foti said.

The subpoenas require that people appear before investigators for questioning.

"Some people were not coming forward. We learned Tenet sent out a letter that had a chilling effect," Foti said. "We had no choice but to issue these subpoenas."

[leveymg]

1. Hopefully, the investigation can extend to those who are most responsible

Not the hospital's doctors and nurses, but the Bush Administration officials who withheld aid for days from the city of New Orleans, killing uncounted hundreds more.

[applegrove]

2. God I hope so.

[leesa]

3. Why? Would you rather they drowned and had horrible deaths?

Why are these people being subpoenaed and the REAL murders Brown, Bush and Chertoff are free and making tons of money off these corpses?

[applegrove]

5. Cause I want the whole story to come out. Not just a few people may

have been euthanised because the hospitals - after 4 days of hell - were being evacuated. I want that to come out.

I want those families who thought they left their family in the care of good hospitals to know what happens when a hospital has nothing or his a hospital or nursing home is private.

Whatever happened - happened already. I want the truth to come out. So people will be warned and families will be better prepared. And people who claim to be pro life and vote for bush better understand what the whole package of voting for bush means.. what it means on the ground in a crisis. What it really, really means to live in a society where you blame the victims.

If the truth doesn't come out - society doesn't get better. The generation that was aware of that fire in the sewing factory in New York were as vigilant as dogs when it came to fire doors being installed. And that turned into regulations.

Same with any tragedy.

Bush & the neocons look at tragedy and see opportunity. I want it made clear exactly what that means. No hiding anything. Nothing but the truth. So people will not be hurt or abandoned in the future in the same way. So people (christians) will get that when they vote for neocons they are voting of changes in society that might give them a little more cash - but on the whole will not be as effective as governance in an emergency.

[uppityperson]

6. I want Mr.bush and his people subjected to what these people were

abandoned, overheated, no potable water, food, electricity to run not only lights but medical equipment. I want them to be put in that situation and see what they do.

[applegrove]

7. I don't think that the doctors who euthanized the people they had

to abandon will get in trouble in the end. These were very sick people who could not survive without help and would have suffered in pain alone. So you leave a end stage cancer patient (because you cannot carry them down 5 flights of stairs & they weight 300 pounds) and the morphine wears off?

I think each case will be looked at in much detail. I don't think the people who were "acting responsible" will pay - I think the owners who were irresponsible will pay. And the government will have to learn (why they have to learn it again - I do not know). And forcing the neocons and the business community to learn something about "how governance works and why it is a good thing at times to have government experts there to mitigate" is more important than making them pay. Though I am thrilled they undid plans to get rid of going salary provitions for workers.

And anyone who acted irresponsibly. Like they found some elder people on the street outside a hospital - dead of course. Now were they floated out to hide the negligence? Or when they were abandoned did they try to swim? How does that happen?

Those workers who stayed behind were in hell. We know most did as much as they could. Some lasted 6 days with no power. Some took off after 3 days.

It is a tragedy.

There should have been help for the victims in massive amounts by day 3. The hundreds of police they got into New Orleans by the weekend (day 6) from NY City and the like were flown in on Jets. Took just hours after the decision was made. And the lawlessness became known on day three. There should have been replacement workers for the staff at the hospitals & nursing homes by then by day 3. And drugs & supplies dropped off. I know they had some help & evacuees.

So sad.

[bloom]

4. I wish they would investigate/subpoena

the people who turned back busses, boats, water and food.

[w8liftinglady]

8. This seems like a smokescreen

...let's throw some sensational story about doctors and nurses killing their patients out there...that'll take peoples' minds off the Real criminals.I'm a nurse,and if I had to watch my patient suffer,or abandon a ward of dying patients,I don't know that I wouldn't have done the same thing.

[Kailassa]

9. Those doctors and nurses were heroes

and now they have this horrible court case hanging over their heads.

I read their desperate emails as they were automatically put up on the NOLA site in the week after the hurricane, and even though I'm in Australia and don't know anyone concerned, I could not eat or sleep that week. Their anguish and initial hopefulness, followed by day after day of isolation and starvation, the extraodinary efforts they made to save all the patients they could, the terrible decisions they may possibly have had to make ....

And Bush ate cake and Condi bought shoes and the neighbouring county blocked the road out, threatening to shoot to kill.

I hope somebody makes a really good movie, and uses the money nmade to help survivers rebuild their lives.