Post-Katrina New Orleans

[GordMay]

“After the Storm - Health Care Infrastructure in Post-Katrina New Orleans”
by Ruth E. Berggren, M.D., and Tyler J. Curiel, M.D., M.P.H.

”... Without rapid, coordinated, and effective help from government agencies, we fear that disproportionate human suffering and death will continue to plague greater New Orleans.”

From the New England Journal of Medicine
(Volume 354:1549-1552 April 13, 2006 Number 15)
Goto: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/15/1549

[2divers]

Ok, after reading all the material that I have on the hospitals in Greater N.O. and the Care that the Nurses and Doctors and Staff have taken to get them open (ie, cleaned, scubbed, disinfected, etc) I have the greatest respect for those people and the hospital.

BUT

Being an ex-EMT and practicing Civil Engineer........ I would not live in that area. The medicine and care delivered would be first class, the time it took to get it, third world. Just raising the houses by 3 feet will do NOTHING to help the flooding problem from a storm surge.... It may help from a flood, but not a hurricane.

God Bless them and keep them safe, because FEMA sure can't.

2 divers

[BC Mike]

Much has been written about the Feds on this. Not being said is the fact that the mayor and the governor are the responsible parties. They have to request aid. I have taken the above from pieces written by folks that somwhow do not seem to surface. It is just easier to bash George because the bashers do not like his position on the war, so he becomes fair game for everything else. Why were all the busses left to flood when they could have been put to use ? Who was responsible for the evacuation ? In our part of BC when we had a large fire ( 26000 evacuated ) it was obvious that it was a BC problem. and it was up to us to request Federal aid if we needed it. The lightning hit early in the morning, evacuations later the same day. There is nothing the Feds could have done in time. It was our local Provincial emergency programme, PEP, that got into action along with the police, fire brigade and a whole host of other agencies. None of us thought about bashing the Feds for a fire that they had no control off. Why can't some people at least try and take care of themselves. I am not trying to be unsympthetic to the folks in New Orleans.
Michael

[Lightfin]

Apart from the Dutch, who seem to have mastered taking back land from the sea, I have a difficult time understanding the desire and wisdom of anyone wanting to rebuild in an area that is below sea level, which I understand is the case for much of New Orleans.

[CaptainK]

According to what I heard and read from the news. That the most flood affected areas of New Orleans. Is where most of the poor people lived at.

Unfortunately, most of the poor where African-Americans. And some people have made this incident a racial issue. As well as a political issue!!

It'll take years. Maybe never. That New Orleans will "never" be the same again? Because of the incompetence on the city/state/federal levels had failed at. Prior and after, to hurricane Katrina!!

[2divers]

As an Engineer and Planner, I could go on for a while about all the issue N.O. has and how to fix them, etc.

But the Thread was about the hospitals and quality of medical care. The funny thing is that most of these hospitals seem to have a penchant for putting the wrong things on the lower levels for sustaining the buildings in a flood zone.

For example, in a flood plain and below the flood elevation, why would someone in thier right mind place the electrical generators on the first floor or in the basement? The other thing that needs to be moved up is the electric switch gear (the item that splits and controls the Juice after the generator has made it.) Diesel fuel tanks can be placed on the ground level, but they need to be bolted in place to a large concrete pad to keep them from floating.

I don't fault the doctors or nurses or staff, but the engineers and architects need to have thier heads examined. If you want the staff to do thier job in an emergency you need to give them the tools to do it. Anyone thinking that the government can supply everything they need has a serious case of entitlement.

Personally, the only thing I think anyone is ENTITLED to is air, water, food and the rights enshrined in the Constitution. Commit a crime and you give up some of those rights. Money is not an entitlement and nor should the government ever make you whole for your own stupidty.

Besides, who needs flood insurance when you live on a boat !

2 divers

[CaptainK]

2divers once whispered in the wind
Besides, who needs flood insurance when you live on a boat:) !

I can totally agree with you on that there!!