Health Threats Grow in New Orleans

Health Threats Grow in New Orleans

Thursday September 1, 2005 1:46 PM

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE

AP Medical Writer

As a public health catastrophe unfolded Wednesday in New Orleans, hospitals in the Crescent City sank further into disaster, airlifting babies without their parents to other states and struggling with more sick people appearing at their doors.

Dangerous, unsanitary conditions spread across the city, much of which now sits in a murky stew of germs.

The federal government declared a public health emergency for the Gulf Coast region, promising 40 medical centers with up to 10,000 beds and thousands of doctors and nurses for the hurricane-ravaged area.

In a stunning example of how desperate the situation has become, 25 babies who had been in a makeshift neonatal intensive care unit at New Orleans' Ochsner Clinic were airlifted Wednesday to hospitals in Houston, Baton Rouge, La., and Birmingham, Ala. Many were hooked up to battery-operated breathing machines keeping them alive.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5248177,00.html

It ain't gonna be pretty.

And it's going to take THREE WEEKS to empty the water AFTER they fix the levee breaks.

from a lack of response.

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. Our phone numbers are 504.897.4531 and
504.897.4530, we cannot call out. Feel free to call
us or give numbers to media to call us. 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

:cry::grouphug::cry: