This afternoon in Haiti, there appeared to be a small spot of good news when a portable hospital was erected, foreign doctors had been sent in and surgeries were finally taking place. CNN's Sanjay Gupta, who was one of the first reporters in Haiti was on scene at the hospital. Late this afternoon, word came that the hospital's doctors had been ordered to evacuate without the patients. The critically ill patients were to be abandoned in the hospital tent.
United Nations now has a statement on the situation. Video is now up. Link in the latest update. More after the jump.
The story had been developing over the course of the day and was first reported on The Situation Room. There was confusion as to who exactly was giving the order to evacuate and why.
By airtime of AC360 with Anderson Cooper, all of the doctors and most of their supplies had been evacuated. Left behind in a hospital tent, were the patients, some of whom, had just undergone surgery and were in crucial recovery hours. Clytemnestra has linked to a picture of the hospital (probably earlier in the day), posted by Sanjay Gupta. By the end of AC360's broadcast, Sanjay Gupta was the only doctor left with 25 critical patients in the hospital tent. Mr. Gupta had chosen to stay behind. There was some confusion as to who exactly gave the order. At the very end of the broadcast, the definitive reply came. It was the U.N.. Citing reports of violence, the U.N. had ordered the doctors to leave the area and take medical supplies with them. Both Gupta and Cooper were visibly shaken and distressed. Cooper ended his broadcast tonight by telling Dr. Gupta, he would do what he could and would continue the conversation by phone. There was no evidence of the reported violence and no answers to be had. What will happen to these 25 people left in the dark of night with one doctor...
Over the past few days, there has been report after report about Haiti on AC360 and other shows, one more disturbing than the next. Bodies being bulldozed and dumped, not fully buried. No dignity in death. Orphans stranded in orphanages with dwindling supplies. Haitians dying needlessly while supplies pile up at the airport. Anderson Cooper stated earlier in his broadcast that the deaths now being experienced were referred to as "stupid deaths" by aid workers. Deaths that could have been prevented if there were only available antibiotics or if there was only water given out to the people or if doctors had been put in place. To me, "stupid deaths" is not a good description, more like "incomprehensible deaths" or "avoidable deaths" or much worse, "humans who should still be here, now gone." Now grief envelopes, now silence abounds, now questions multiply.
Links to first videos of the unfolding story below. The latest one and transcript are not yet up. Will update if possible. My apologies for the rush diary, thought the story should be told and needed somewhere to put my own reactions to this stunning story.
Doctors told to evacuate
"Stupid deaths"
Update 1: Below is the 6 pm Eastern transcript from The Situation Room, earlier in the day when the report of the ordered evacuation was just coming in. By the time AC360 aired the two segments, doctors had gone:
In some cases medical teams are being told to pack up and go, just as they are trying to help the sick and suffering. What is going on? I spoke just a little while ago with our Chief Medical Correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (On camera): We are in an area called Teto Soliel (ph), it is an area not too far from the hospital where we were yesterday. A hospital that was really, really scrambling to try to get resources, Wolf.
We were pleased to hear they put up the tents not too far away from that hospital, the white hospital tents being able to perform medical procedures, surgical procedures. What we just heard, though, Wolf, and this is of concern obviously to a lot of people here, is that the doctors and the nurses and the health care professionals are being told to pack up their medical supplies and try to get to a secure location. They are being told this by the United Nations. There is concern about riots not too far from here.
And this is part of the problem for them. Is they want to take care of lots of patients that are actually in the tents, and many more patients actually outside, but they simply being to told at this point to stop and to try to get to some secure location, Wolf.
BLITZER: What will happen with all of the patients and the people in desperate need of medical attention?
GUPTA: We have been asking the same question. The most immediate are the patients who are waiting. You may even see some of the patients over my shoulder here, Wolf, including a little baby boy over there. They are watching as the health care teams start to packing up their goods. I don't know. This is the same situation that we ran into yesterday, lots of patients waiting for care and hardly anyone to provide any care or any resources for them. Again, even as I am talking to you, there are cars behind me, they are starting to pack up their goods in preparation to leave. So, it is sort of going a little bit backwards. There was a lot of excitement about the fact that the tents were going up, but obviously, if all of the health care teams leave, along with the supplies, a big problem. I don't know if they will establish another location to try and care for people, they are going to try and secure it in some other way? But for right now some, at least for the time being, some bad news for the patients, Wolf.
BLITZER: Well, the patients who can't be moved, the patients who are lying in bed, with broken legs and whatever, are they there by themselves?
GUPTA: Well, I don't know -- and I don't think they know right now exactly how they are going to handle the situation. I think they are literally talking to each other and trying to figure out exactly how this is going to work. They are told that some folks from the United Nations are going to come down here. I don't know if they are simply going to escort these doctors and nurses out of this area, to a more secure location, or if they are also going to try and set up a little bit of a force here, in this particular area, to try to take care of the patients. I think it is just unclear. Everyone is sort of deciding and discussing even as we speak right now, Wolf.
BLITZER: So, in other words there is some ominous indications that people are getting ready to get violent, is that what I am hearing from you, Sanjay?
GUPTA: That is exactly what we are being told, Wolf. In fact, that is coming from the United Nations to these doctors. That is where they are getting their directive. The specific language that was told to me is there are concerns about riots, and concerns specifically about the gunshots that they could hear off in the distance.
So, that is seems to be what is happening. But, again, this is all coming in as communication to these doctors and nurses, Wolf.
BLITZER: Are there enough doctors? Let's assume they could stay, are there enough doctors and nurses at this one little facility where you are right now, that could take care of the people?
GUPTA: Well, let me show you that there is actually five separate tents set up around here, and whether it is enough, the answer to that has to be no. But you do have a lot more personnel, exponentially more so than you did yesterday. A short distance from here where I was at a hospital where there was essentially one doctor trying to take care of hundreds of patients.
So the personnel seems to be here and the supplies were starting to increase in number as well, and pain medications, and antibiotics and gauze and dressings, even and types of materials to handle the orthopedic injuries. So that seemed to be improving, but the, again, this concern about the violence not far from here. Again, according to the U.N., they are telling these doctors the leave, and to find a more secure location until further notice.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/...
Update 2: It's important to note that the U.N. headquarters has been severely damaged, many U.N. workers are missing and many have died in the quake. Also that people from all over the world are doing their best in Haiti, they are trying to help the Haitians and doing their very best. Still questions need to be asked. It's a delicate balance.
Update 3 (from Rimjob): Here's an excerpt and a link with info about the tenuous, confusing and fragile diplomatic situation in Haiti:
But even as U.S. officials sought to portray a collaborative relationship with Haiti's government — one where each side provides the other with need assessments — the reality is far more complicated.
U.S. officials said Haitians are still in control of their own airspace, but Americans control the airport at Port-au-Prince.
The 9,000-member United Nations peacekeeping force — MINUSTAH — continues to take the international lead in policing and security. The primary mission of U.S. troops arriving in Haiti, for now, remains humanitarian assistance, the U.S. said.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/...
Update 4: AC360 is re-airing for its late-night broadcast right now, 2 am Eastern. Watch for the reports in the middle and end of the show. Look for updates as CNN starts its morning news cycle at 6 am Eastern.
Update 5 from farrelad: From a CNN Producer, there is news that Gupta and crew are staying with the patients through the night! Here are some powerful words from CNN Producer Danielle Dellorto:
BREAKING -UN just came to field hosp & made the docs pack up and LEAVE the #hatie patients they treated earlier here by themselves 2nite
about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter
CNN crew only ppl left w/ these patients who were treated, then left in a field. UN sited "security of the docs" as the reason. #haiti
about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter
@sanjayguptacnn & our CNN crew & security will stay 2nite w/ these critically ill patients. Sanjay only doc here. We won't leave them #haiti
about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter
still here w/ the abandoned patients-changing IV bags, trying to keep them stabilized, comfortable. Cant believe they were alone#haiti
42 minutes ago from mobile web
Danielle Delorto has also posted a heart-breaking picture of the patients who were left in this makeshift hospital. You must see this picture, it says as much as all of the reporting combined.
A small ray of good in a horrible situation. The patients will have Gupta throughout the night. Those of you on twitter, please send Danielle and Gupta support and appreciation.
Update 6 - AC360 Transcript now available. Interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta at the hospital and LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), : I will go through and bold some key points.
No one knows that better than retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore, who commanded the Katrina relief effort in New Orleans. He joins us now. General Honore, I appreciate you being with us. We'll talk in a moment about what needs to be done and how you think this is going to play out in the first couple days. But as you see this now, has this been too slow or is this about -- you know, as best as is possible?
LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, we never get these done on time to meet the requirements. That's why it's classified as a disaster.
But I would say this, Anderson: we have to adapt and overcome. We have to come off script and do some things that's not in the plan. One of them is that search and rescue and evacuation trumps security. When you're saving people's lives, you will not have absolute security. We ran into the same thing in New Orleans.
And I can give you several examples of where people were talking about security, and it held up the evacuation of the people out of the Superdome and the convention center.
COOPER: I've often found, you know, if security folks -- I mean, God bless them, and you know, we all need them in a lot of situations. But if you only listen to them, you end up limiting yourselves and, frankly, your ability to go out. We see this as reporters. If we reason to security personnel all the time, there are things we just wouldn't be able to do.
At a certain point, you've got to say, "You know what? It's just time to treat people. You know what? Maybe our lives are at risk, but I can -- you know, it's a gamble. Maybe our lives are at risk, but I can tell you for sure people are going to die tonight, and their lives are even more at risk."
HONORE: I agree with you. And you're going to have to adapt and overcome. You're going to have to engage the people in Haiti. Try to get them organized in work groups to clear landing pads for those helicopters, clear landing pads to put supplies on the ground, and clear landing pads so we can stock equipment and have places to put tents up.
But the people of Haiti can do this, just as we've shown that they have done a good job of doing their -- being their own first responder and getting their citizens out of these buildings.
COOPER: That is really the remarkable thing is that -- I mean, I think to a lot of outsiders, people are coming to Port-au-Prince maybe for the first time and say, oh, well, it's chaotic. There is -- I mean, there are rules here. There is a societal structure. There are, you know, real traditions and real bonds. We have to try to kind of, you know, understand that and use that in order to help the effort. It's not as if there's not order here and desire here. You know, people -- neighbors are helping neighbors. We just have to somehow kind of marshal that. Right?
HONORE: We've got to marshal that. We've got to understand, just because these people are poor, it doesn't mean they're dangerous. We ran into the same thing in New Orleans. Everybody has got their flak jacket and M-16 on.
And it comes down to me, my understanding is, is that people were afraid because they were poor and they were on the street and they were in crowds. It's nothing to be scared of. You get in supplies there. You evacuate people and you encourage the people to help. And everything's going to be OK. They've got to move and move now.
COOPER: Yes. General Honore, I want to bring in Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We've established a phone connection with him. He's at this hospital. The other doctors have been told, I guess -- I'm not sure by who -- to pull out.
Sanjay, who told these doctors to pull out? Was it the U.N.?
GUPTA: I think it was the U.N., Anderson. U.N. trucks came and -- and got these doctors, said they were taking them to another location. They told them to come now to take a lot of their supplies.
A lot of patients that were cared for earlier in the day and cared for well are left here. They need pain medications, I.V.s. They need to be monitored. They are critically ill patients. I have not been in a situation like this before where essentially, I don't think that they wanted to do this, the doctors and nurses. But they were asked to, and they complied.
And now you have about 25 patients here in the middle of a field in these tents with hardly any supplies who are really, really sick.
COOPER: General Honore, what do you make of this?
HONORE: This is -- this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. That's got to be fixed. And it will be fixed quick.
The U.N. command down there needs to take responsibility for this. They've got 9,000 troops. And if we have to, that big field, Anderson showed, we have to drop the rest of the 2nd Brigade, the 82nd Airborne in there at daylight tomorrow morning and get this problem taken care of.
COOPER: Well, you know, I was out with some Bolivian U.N. troops today. They had order established. They were handing out food. And it seemed like, you know, they knew what they were doing. They've been here for a long time.
We've got to end it there, General Honore. We're going to talk to you in the days ahead.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/...
Update 7, 3:31 am Eastern, CNN has front-paged this story:
http://www.cnn.com/...
Gupta said some might not survive the night.
He said the Belgian doctors did not want to leave their patients behind but were ordered out by the United Nations, which sent buses to transport them.
"There is concern about riots not far from here -- and this is part of the problem," Gupta said.
There have been scattered reports of violence throughout the capital.
Sandra Pierre, a Haitian who has been helping at the makeshift hospital, said the medical staff took most of the supplies with them.
"All the doctors, all the nurses are gone," she said. "They are expected to be back tomorrow. They had no plan on leaving tonight. It was an order that came suddenly."
She told Gupta, "It's just you."
Update #8 - Gupta updates us on the patient's conditions via twitter: I have added CNN Producer's picture of the patients left in the hospital under update #4. Thanks to farrelad and QES for these recent updates
345a. pulling all nighter at haiti field hosp. lots of work, but all patients stable. turned my crew into a crack med team tonight. #proud
about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
Can you imagine how those patients would've fared if Gupta had not stayed? Sending out so much appreciation for his decision, efforts and his crew's sudden iniation into trauma medicine.
Update 9: Another obstacle, updated via twitter and CNN Saturday Morning:
CNN is back on the air with live news. Updates coming directly from Gupta and also through twitter: Sanjay Gupta and Danielle Dellorto. Still reporting that the doctors were ordered to leave due to security concerns. The doctors may be coming back in the morning.
sanjayguptaCNN:
5a update. we lost all generator power. sun will come up in about 30 minutes. now confident we will get all these patients through the night
about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
DanielleCNN:
oh boy. well, now we're in the dark.... generator ran out of gas. digging for my flashlight! #haiti
about 2 hours ago from UberTwitter
Gupta has updated the CNN newsroom that despite the generator power loss, the patients are still in stable condition. Sanjay Gupta's show is set to air at 7:30 Eastern: may be some updates. Also there will be a live interview with Gupta between 7 am and 7:30 Eastern.
Update 10 - CNN Saturday Morning - another interview with Lt. Gen Honore:
Lt. Gen Honore stresses that "we can't be leaning so much toward security that we allow people to die." Also informs us of steps that have been taken to resolve the situation. "we were able to contact Southern command," (that's our military in Haiti now) spoke to the watch officer, they are now aware of Gupta's location. Southern Command is working with the U.N. to try and get the situation resolved. When the sailors found out, they wanted to go to Gupta's location immediately, but there is coordination involved first. The troops are ready to go.
He sees need for improvements in three areas: many more helicopters, work with the Haitian community, on the ground, to facilitate drops and continuing to improve communications. Also suggests that the U.N. should engage Cuba to bring in their medical brigade. Honore's guess is that, despite the risks, we will start to see food/water/supply drops from helicopters. That last point has been strongly denounced by many of the aid organizations in their media interviews. Also, Kossacks with disaster experience have expanded on the dangers of such drops. See links to mindoca's diaries below on that.
Update 10 (Wow really?) continued - Gupta was interviewed on site at the makeshift hospital: Betty Nguyen of CNN's saturday interved Gupta this morning. Right off the bat, Gupta highlights that the patients are all doing ok. He still seems visibly frustrated. Gupta still looks like a man with a plan. Back in the interview, Gupta is quick to stress that the main thing throughout the night was that those paitents got great care and today, they will continue to get great care. Dr. Gupta and his brave crew have stayed safe. Now will come the challenges of a new day. The other doctors have returned to the makeshift hospital. Gupta filled them in on each patient. Then, these doctors will once again, take over care of these critical patients.
It may be a new day and once again new doctors, but I doubt that's the end of story. We'll see if the coordination Honore mentioned will materialize, coordination between the U.S. military and the U.N. in order to provide secure medical facilities. Gupta missed his morning show on CNN; He was still working in the field hospital and so he couldn't anchor. Hoping Gupta and Cooperson grab some sleep when and if they can. I'll be going to sleep soon. I'm sure CNN will be updating this story throughout the day. You can use this diary to update in comments or take it from here. Keep asking those brave and pertinent questions.
Update 11 - U.N. statement - thanks Arielle: Things have heated up. CNN News is now reporting that the United Nations says they did not order the evacuation.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Saturday that the world body's mission in Haiti did not order any medical team to leave the Port-au-Prince field hospital. If the team left, it was at the request of their own organizations, he told CNN.
Update 12 - Video: Video of the Segment is now up. (Transcript is above under update # 6)
Link to AC360 Interview of Lt. Gen. Honore and Dr. Sanjay Gupta
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VA gentlewoman linked to ReliefWeb as a resource to learn more about rescue and relief operations; a look at the larger scale. Sending thoughts out to the people of Haiti, our military, all of the rescue teams and everyone helping .
There are naturally strong and emotional reactions to this story in the comments. Our humanity is evident. I know we will take those initial reactions of sadness, anger and shock and channel them into finding out answers. We can only hope the attention tonight on this story will prevent similar situations from playing out throughout the relief efforts. If you'd like to contact AC360 to let them know we are interested in and care about these patients: through CNN's site and through twitter. Attention to this story is one tiny way we can act. Let's keep the patients in our hearts and thoughts and (for those who believe in prayer), in our prayers. It must be enormously scary for them. Trauma after trauma after trauma.
For all of us who are safe, that safety allows us the room to care about others. Gratitude for food, a home and running water. If you haven't donated yet and can do so, even $1 or $2 adds up.
Shelter Box Diary
Helping the Victims of Haiti Earthquake: with extensive list of charitable orgs working in Haiti
Mindoca's Q&A about Disaster Relief Part 2
Mindoca's Q&A about Disaster Relief Part 1
A report of a goods collection, through NOAH, at the Haitian embassy from hikerbiker. I don't have further info on this org on charity navigator, but people can call Saturday to verify the report and donate if all checks out. Verify, be safe and then generous. NOAH's site
Goodnight or morning to you all. Many touching, informative and compassionate comments.