E-Mails from Bill Quigley at Tenant Memorial Hospital
Bill Quigley , who is a professor of Law at Loyola University , is with his wife, an oncology nurse, at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans right now. Bill has been at the hospital volunteering his time since the storm hit. He writes from the hospital the following email. Please get the word out, and see how help can be gotten to these people. In all the work and confusion, they should not be forgotten.
Tuesday, August 30
Dear Friends:
There are about 1300 people here who need help. I would appreciate it if you could forward this information to federal and state authorities and press in the US and in Louisiana to make sure these sick people are cared for. Some had transplant surgery this AM!
I am in Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. We have nearly 200 very sick people, hundreds of staff and hundreds more families. The hospital has some basic electricity but many rooms have no electricity and many stairwells have no electricity. There is no a/c and no external windows. We cannot phone out and can receive few incoming calls. The water is rising and the hospital is already surrounded by water. Once the water hits the first floor, the computers, the email, all intercoms, and all internal communication inside the hospital will cease.
Our phones do not work so this is the only way I can reach out. This is not official but what I have been able to find out from listening to many, many people here.
The City of New Orleans is completely overwhelmed. No electricity. Incredible wind damage and now a broken levee that is flooding the city even further.
Please make sure that someone is working to make sure these sick people and their families are helped.
They need care. For hours they have been announcing that patients are going to be medivaced (is this a word?) to other hospitals and shelters. But little real action so far.
I know there is much, much to do out there, but these sick people need attention asap.
Please reach out in whatever way you can to make sure these folks are cared for.
Peace and love,
Bill Quigley
I just talked to Debbie and Bill, who are on the third floor of the Tenet Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. Some patients have been medivacked out, but according to Bill, there is no plan to get family members and hospital staff out. If the water keeps rising, they won't have any power. Please give Bill's numbers to any media people you know, since he can recieve calls at least tonight. Susan and all at Jonah House
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
This is the latest on Bill and Debbie Quigley's situation at the hospital...it came in Thursday morning from Val Fillenwarth.
Bill and Debbie are still in the hospital and hope to be evacuated within 24 to 36 hours. They are text messaging their son who is ready to pick them up when possible. The rescue efforts have been suspended for a while so the police can round up looters. Some patients have already been rescued. Also: Democracy Now called Bill on Tuesday night and interviewed him on the situation at the hospital. here is the link to the interview http://www.democracynow.org/print.pl?sid=05/09/01/146255