The Wider Hospital Disaster

The accounts of other New Orleans hospitals complicate any claim that Memorial’s experience was inevitable or uniform.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Lindy Boggs Evacuates

Lindy Boggs Evacuates Similar Danger Lindy Boggs Medical Center faced darkness, floodwater, and delayed rescue. Patients were sorted into groups, and the sickest were left until later. A Separate Allegation A respiratory therapist was reportedly told that some patients might need to be euthanized. Another doctor rejected the idea and stayed with patients and pets, showing that similar pressure did not produce identical choices.

Touro’s Abandoned Patient

Touro’s Abandoned Patient Arechaga Found Alive Odun Arechaga was discovered in poor condition after being left at Touro Infirmary. Rescuers cleared his airway and transferred him to care. Conflicting Accounts Investigators heard reports that other patients had been considered too critical to move and may have received morphine. The accounts widened questions about triage and abandonment beyond Memorial.

Charity Hospital Holds On

Charity Hospital Holds On Improvised Care Charity Hospital lost power, communications, plumbing, and elevators, yet staff used portable generators and continued treating patients. Workers maintained routines and tried to limit rumors. A Different Priority The sickest patients were taken out first. The hospital’s experience challenged assumptions that severe conditions necessarily required writing off the most vulnerable.

Nursing Homes Stay Behind

Nursing Homes Stay Behind Evacuations Fail Unevenly Some facilities moved residents before landfall, while others remained in place. St. Rita’s and Lafon became examples of different failures and sacrifices during the flood. More Than One Kind of Loss Transportation itself could be dangerous, and staying could be deadly. The wider record showed that neither evacuation nor sheltering was safe without preparation, supplies, and coordinated support.

The Airport Field Hospital

The Airport Field Hospital Patients Arrive Without a System Evacuees reached the airport in large numbers, many with complex medical needs and separated from medicines or caregivers. Disaster Medical Assistance Teams lacked sufficient supplies and coordination. Rescue Without Continuity Patients had been moved out of danger but not necessarily into stable care. The airport’s conditions showed that evacuation alone did not complete a rescue.

August 30–September 2, 2005

September 2, 2005

August 29–September 2, 2005

August–September 2005

August 31–September 2, 2005