A Long Night For Doctor Sanjay Gupta In Haiti

[Swede]

Run time: 09:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YInHe4W10   Posted on YouTube: January 17, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 18, 2010 By DU Member: Swede Views on DU: 942

 

[thereismore]

1. Why did they not protect the doctors if they had security concerns??? nt

[thereismore]

2. Gupta seems shell-shocked. He is a good man. nt

[liberation]

3. Gupta just realized the reality of his publicity stunt...

...

[1monster]

5. That kind of comment makes me wonder what has happened to DU. Gupta is working there to save lives.

I don't think this is a publicity stunt. He is there as a reporter and had no obligation (other than his own conscience and moral standards) to stay and help those people.

I'm sure he is scared and overwhelmed. Anyone would be.

I greatly admire him for doing what ever he can to help.

It's more than I am able to do. I can only send a small amount of cash to help.

But one thing for sure: I will not dis those whose feet are on the ground,whose hearts, souls, and hands are working to save lives. While some people may die on Gupta's watch, it won't be because he didn't care or do his best with what little he has to keep them alive.

My hat is off to Sanjay Gupta.

[localroger]

6. What happened was Gupta's hit piece on Michael Moore

When Sicko was released Gupta preceeded an interview between himself and Moore with a "fact check" segment that was full of lies and misrepresentations (really, it seemed that Gupta had put it together from the movie trailer instead of the movie itself). It was disgusting and craven and Gupta never did come clean about it, and a lot of us lost all respect for him over the incident.

That said, what he is doing in Haiti is praiseworthy and I'm inclined to cut him some slack. But if he goes back to acting like a corporatist stooge when he returns, it won't last long.

[liberation]

7. People who are truly interested in saving lives first, don't take a camera crew with them...

... he was with other doctors, they were told to get the f*ck out because the security in that sector was breaking down. He not only decided to stay, and thus risking his crew, but he went off dissing the same medical contingent which was there before him and which was made of an international contingent of MDs and nurses with previous experience in emergency response in catastrophic situations. I don't care who he thinks he is, that is a big no-no in my book.

Disclaimer: I spent over 1 year in Senegal and Western Sahara (MINURSO) working with the UN. So I know first hand amazing people who dedicate (and sacrifice) their lives to help others... and do so without the need to whore their accomplishments, so I am a bit touchy when some jackass with ZERO experience in the matter decides to bad mouth those who have been doing long before he decided to play samaritan... and will most likely continue doing well after Dr. Gupta gets tired of playing TV hero and wants to get back home to a nice house, a hot shower, and five-car garage.

Going cowboy style to a disaster area makes little good, not following security recommendations endangers the members of your mission and the lives of the poor saps which will have to be send to rescue your ass when the security concerns become reality and the shit hits the fan, dissing others which have been involved in humanitarian missions before you, and who are aware (by experience in some cases) that an alive doctor is far more useful than a dead one is classless, supporting a health system which kills tens of thousands of your fellow citizens while spending a couple of weeks "playing good samaritan" to get street creed and ratings is just that: a publicity stunt.

Oh, and by the way a lot of the generators and transport being used by the US Media could have been used to save lives...

In the next couple of weeks I expect Dr. Gupta to go off on 3 hr specials about his harrowing experience, who knows... he may even get one or two book deals.

[Roland99]

8. +1

[Swede]

9. He was sent by CNN as a reporter and made an emotional decision.

This isn't acting,this is real. Maybe he is ignorant of the security protocols but he acted correctly as a doctor.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

4. The need for help is just so overwhelming. I can imagine the doctors were being publled this way and

that. I'm thinking they can't send them back till they have higher numbers of doctors to meet the massive demand of casualtis. It's just a disaster on a scale nearly never seen before and tough terrain to get in and out of. What can get done will get done when some of the high emotions die down out of desperate need.

[underpants]

10. WOW good guy-I read elsewhere that his crew put down the equipment and assisted him

not amazing-none of it, that sheet-tent city was built by the community- but it is amazing that a newsperson these days has tangible skills.

[hj99]

11. Gupta not telling the truth?

There is info coming out that Gupta did not stay all night as he claims. This is second hand and I wasn't there but the source claims there is video that will be forthcoming. This may be another case of "Bear Grylls" syndrome where people pretend for the camera and then go sleep in their hotel.

I say wait and see before praising the guy or condemning him. I was put off by how much he kept talking about how great he was however and would not be surprised if this is true. Remember these people are media and love drama.