Dr. Anna Pou, a well-respected otolaryngologist and associate professor of surgery at Louisiana State University, and nurses Lori L. Budo and Cheri Landry have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The alleged crimes occurred during the days immediately after hurricane Katrina at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans.
This is an outrage. The details of exactly what happened on that hospital floor with caregivers stressed to their maximum under horrible circumstances with vulnerable and critically ill patients will probably never be known. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that in hindsight there was no acceptable outcome for the patients or the healthcare givers who did not abandon their posts, as did so many others in authority. The patients were facing horrible deaths if not treated and the caregivers were faced with deciding how best to lessen suffering. It is a widely accepted notion in medicine that drugs may be given that might hasten death if the intent is to alleviate suffering. In the cool and calm of a year’s reflection perhaps decisions were made that are now regretted. But, these professionals were essentially working under the conditions of war.
I would ask readers to consider what decision they would have wanted the caregivers to make if it had been their mother trapped on that hospital floor? Would they want caregivers to abandon their loved ones to whatever fate awaited them because they were afraid of how their treatment decisions might be judged afterwards.
I would also ask readers to consider this – this has for sure put a chilling damper on other physicians’ and nurses’ willingness to volunteer and “stay to help” in any upcoming catastrophes. And if the bird flu pandemic ever hits, the chaos, confusion, and lawlessness that happened in New Orleans is going to look like recess.
Dr. Pou’s colleagues have set up a legal defense fund in her behalf. To anyone wishing to contribute the checks should be made out to the Anna Pou MD Defense Fund and mailed to:
Dr. Daniel Nuss, MD
Professor and Chairman
LSU Department of Otolaryngology
533 Bolivar St.
5th floor ENT suite
New Orleans, LA 70112
I can’t believe they charged them … as if the prosecuters have a clue to what patient care in suffering is about. I will send my support to Dr. Nuss.
no care or concern is being given to the patients that this doctor murdered because the patients were all probably black. She probably is a good doctor. But she made a fatal decision and should be held accountable. This has nothing to do with her credentials, but everything to do with the moral decision she made and the hippocratic oath she did not adhere to
That is an absurd comment….the patients were black! Give me a break! I doubt seriously the skin color of these patients had anything to with the fact that they were terminally ill. These brave people stayed behind to care for them. I think we should be honoring them, not putting them through hell. But hey, that’s what we do as Americans….everything is fine…tragedies start to heal….BUT WAIT….oh no there is something awry here. Let’s sue/prosecute/persecute as many people as we can. I think that is law enforcments way of making a name ofr themselves. I just pray that this never happens to me. I know it won’t because I wil NEVER volunteer to stay and help anyone. I can’t afford to be sued or arrested.
After reading the five-part series in the Times Picayune I’m starting to seriously wonder if a few people overheard, and misconstrued, bits of conversation among the docs about finding someone willing to help euthanize the 400 pets brought there by families once it became apparent they would not be allowed to bring pets onto evacuation vehicles. I don’t think I’ve ever heard medical personnel refer to sedation as "putting him to sleep", nor have I ever heard that term in the context of euthanization other than in reference to animals.
I am one of the SICU nurses who was assigned to work "hurricane duty" at Memorial Medical Center. I have worked with Cheri Landry and Lori Budo for over 8 years. They are two of the most highly respected nurses in our entire hospital. They are the best of our best. They have outstanding skills, compassion, and dedication. I would choose them to take care of my most beloved family members. I have taken care of Dr. Pou’s post-operative patients in the SICU on many occasions I have the highest respect for her. She is also compassionate, dedicated, and highly skilled. Our community is rising in support behind all three – to us they are heroes. I worked side by side with them during this nightmare-storm and as an eye witness, I can say I saw only heroism – from them, from the other doctors, nurses, ancillary health care people, and volunteers. Everyone worked around the clock to try to save and evacuate the patients. We now have a website for the nurses, if you would like further information, please visit us at:
http://sites/insidesurgery.com/files.memorialnursessu… We need your support.
Cathryn Green BSN RN
I have watched and observed Dr Pou, as my husband was a former at UTMB in Galveston TX, and I can say she was compassionate and professional; not only to my husband, but me,as well. I have asked myself if it was my mother. And I can tell you, that I would want her to be as comfortable as possible in that horrible situation. No, Dr Anna Pou, you did not kill those patients. And I have to agree with the comment above, would health care professionals say euthanized or put to sleep? Give me a break!!!!!!