Doctor, 2 nurses charged in Katrina-related euthnasia charges

[ysolde]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13916867/

This is so sad! There are so many questions here, to which we will prbably never have the answers.

[MLA]

It’s really, really sad. I don’t think that the doctors were right if they did, indeed, euthanize these patients, but I can only imagine what they were facing. It must have felt like the world was coming to an end. I don’t know what sort of actions I would take in those circumstances.

[ysolde]

Truth be told, I can imagine that, in those circumstances, I might ask for enough morphine to "ease my pain," knowing exactly what that means.

[Dally]

This is a terribly sad story and a terribly sad event.

I need to know more before I judge, but ITA with Ysolde:Truth be told, I can imagine that, in those circumstances, I might ask for enough morphine to "ease my pain," knowing exactly what that means.

The conditions must have been beyond horrific. :(

[lawyerlee]

The whole thing is so terrible. Maybe I'm naive, but I have a hard time believing those medical professionals would do that if they didn't have extremely good, humane and caring reasons. I hate that people found themselves in that situation at all. I guess I don't know if I think they should be prosecuted or not because we don't know a lot of details, but it makes me sad that these kinds of ramifications are still coming from the horrible disaster.

This NPR piece from back in February is good, in case anyone is interested:

New Orleans Hospital Staff Discussed Mercy Killings (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5219917)

[jesvet]

It's beyond horrible. If the emergency services had been anywhere near adequate for the evacuation process those medical professionals would never have been in that position in the first place.

[MLA]

The whole thing is so terrible. Maybe I'm naive, but I have a hard time believing those medical professionals would do that if they didn't have extremely good, humane and caring reasons.

Absolutely. I don't think you're naive at all. I don't think these were evil murderers. I think they were people put into an unimaginable situation.

And I agree w/jesvet about the emergency services. Maybe the government (local, state, and federal) should be on trial instead of these medical professionals.