[reporter] Desperate is the word you used, Charlie,
and there is not a more appropriate word this morning
for the hundreds of patients still in hospitals throughout the New Orleans area.
The humidity is palpable this morning.
[stammers] It's almost strangling, it's so humid outside here and so warm.
So you can only imagine what it's like inside the hospital rooms
where there's been no power, and in many cases, no food and no supplies
since Katrina blew through.
[journalist] With the backup generators gone, they have no ventilation.
They're using portable oxygen,
trying to decide which patients they can give the oxygen to
in order to prolong their lives.
They're running out of food.
One of the nurses walked outside to get a breath of fresh air.
She was held up at gunpoint. So it is not safe.
[reporter] Well, there's still not enough people on the ground to help everybody.
Not enough rescue workers, not enough police.
Certainly not enough people going door to door
to try to find the people that are in their homes.
So consequently…
Steve, I couldn't get in touch with Memorial.
I-I don't know. Maybe they lost power.
So the-- the last email I got,
"Fatigue, stress, anxiety, supplies are all issues now. We can't take it."
Jesus.
And the people inside the city of New Orleans are asking repeatedly today
to people in Washington, "Are you watching? Are you listening?"
[survivor] Please, man! Live! [sobs]
[journalist] For several days now,
many people have gone without food, water and shelter.
The residents of New Orleans are literally crying for help.
[reporter] As you know, the Bush administration
has been coming under increased fire
from local officials in New Orleans and all across the nation.
People unhappy it's taking so long to get relief for the refugees in affected areas.
I think I might have found helicopters that can evacuate the patients.
They're here in Dallas. They won't be to New Orleans for hours.
- Send them. - We gotta get corporate approval--
No, I'll get the approvals. Just send them.
Memorial's not gonna know they're coming. Uh…
Just try anything you can to get them a message.
They gotta hang on. Hang on till those copters get there.
[reporter] She didn't make it,
and tens of thousands, still stranded, wonder if they will.
[singer] ♪ Wade in the water ♪
♪ Wade in the water, children ♪
[singer, chorus] ♪ Wade in the water ♪
♪ Wade in the water, children ♪
♪ Wade in the water ♪
♪ God is gonna trouble these waters ♪
[chorus] ♪ Man went down to the river ♪
♪ Man went down to the river, Lord ♪
♪ Man went down to the river ♪
♪ Went down there for to pray ♪
[singer] ♪ Oh ♪
[singer, chorus] ♪ Wade in the water ♪
♪ Wade in the water, children ♪
♪ Wade in the water ♪
♪ God is gonna trouble these waters ♪
[vocalizing]
[singer] ♪ God's gonna trouble these waters ♪
[music ends]
We're all gonna die here. [whimpers]
- [Dr. Baltz] Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy. - We're gonna die.
Hey. Just calm down. Shh.
We're all gonna die.
No. You just get some rest, all right?
- No one's gonna die. - [patients whimpering]
Hey, Rachel. It's Dr. Pou.
[patients breathing heavily]
[Dr. Baltz] Come on.
[patients whimpering, sobbing]
[Dr. Baltz] You're gonna be okay.
You shut your eyes and rest. All right?
- [patient 1 coughing] - [patient 2 sobbing]
[patient 1 mumbling]
[patient 3 mumbling] It's so hot. Why is it so hot?
- [breathing heavily] - [gasps] Oh.
[patient] Hey, Doctor. [breathing heavily]
Hi. I'm just checking on you. How you doing, Rodney?
- Yeah, I'm good. - Yeah?
They start moving people again?
Not yet. We don't have any boats or helicopters right now.
[Rodney] I get to go last, right? [breathing shakily]
Well, I think we're still trying to determine the best way to evacuate.
Hey, I used to be a nurse.
I used to work at this hospital.
I know how these things go.
I'm going to be hard to get out.
I hear there's someone else like me here. Another big guy up in LifeCare.
We probably both gonna go last…
as long as we don't get left behind.
[nurse] Yeah, that should feel better.
There's nothing. There's no helicopters.
[Martin] We never should've stopped the evacuation.
[breathes heavily]
- We never should have stop-- - Okay!
Jesus Christ! We're in the middle of a city.
We can't communicate with anybody?
We're just supposed to stand up on the-- on the roof with everyone else,
holding up signs, begging for help? [sighs]
I tried. Everybody tried.
Sandra, I know. I know.
[sighs]
I know you tried. I know. I'm sorry.
[Richard] Uh.
[sighing]
Some of the staff have been asking…
[scoffs] They're worried about their pets.
People are dying, and they are worried about their pets?
They're worried about what's gonna happen to the animals
if they have to leave them here.
And they're thinking…
maybe they should do the humane thing.
[sighs]
Yeah.
Probably.
I'll, um-- I'll speak to Dr. Cook.
- I think he knows how to do that. - [sighs]
Y'all, I think that we have to consider
patients that we can't evacuate.
Making sure that they don't suffer either.
You mean just keeping them comfortable, right?
Just make them comfortable.
Because a lot of people are on edge.
And I wanna make sure that there is no confusion.
No.
No, there's no confusion.
[sighs]
I'll be right back.
Excuse me. My mother's burning up.
[nurse] There's nothing we can do.
Well, can't you-- Is there any more ice?
There is no ice. There is no water.
There's nothing we can do.
[breathes shakily] I'm right here.
I'm right here, Ma.
I'm not going anywhere.
[sniffles]
I'm right here, Ma. I'm right here for you.
- [engine whirring] - [insects buzzing]
[crying, breathing heavily]
Diane.
- Oh. - How are y'all doing?
Well, we, um, we lost a few more patients this morning.
Running low on water, rubbing alcohol, clean linens.
[sniffles] I mean I'm, uh, I'm making a list.
[Susan] It's all lists now.
[sighs] But I will see what I can find for ya.
Thank you.
[breathes shakily, sniffles]
Diane, there are a lot of conversations going around.
A lot of talk.
But the plan is to leave no living patients behind.
Uh, yeah, of course we're not gonna leave anyone.
Okay.
Susan.
Thank you.
Of course.
Hey! Right over there.
[people outside hospital chattering]
Boats. Hold steady.
Y'all keep steady. Push back!
Push back for me. Push back.
There are only two boats. All right? Give us a chance. Push back.
Who are you with?
Not with anybody. Just us.
- Go find your mom. - [Charles] Sir, please. No, no.
- Can you take patients? - A few.
I'm going to get somebody. I'm coming out hot.
I need these boats ready to go.
They'll be ready. Guarantee.
But when you leave, take me with ya.
Push back for me. Give him space, give him space. All right.
[Mark] Vera LeBlanc!
- Ma? [pants] - [staff] Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Uh-uh.
Vera! Vera LeBlanc! [pants] Vera.
- Hey. - Vera LeBlanc, where is she?
Who are you?
Jesus. Can you please tell me where my mother is?
- Okay, you can't be here. - [Jill] Mark? Mark! Mark!
- Okay, hey! Hey, I said you can't be here! - Mom!
Mom.
[breathing shakily]
How come you don't even have her hooked up to an IV?
We were, uh, we were told to suspend--
Y'all decide to quit being doctors?
[panting]
Come on. Grab her stuff.
[Jill] Okay.
[breathes shakily]
Come on.
Get in that boat.
- Sandra. - [Sandra] Okay. Here, help me.
[grunting] Here, be careful.
You got her?
Good job. Take a seat, take a seat, take a seat.
- Full load? - All we can take. [sighs]
[breathes heavily] Let's go.
All right, back up. They're pulling out!
Step back! All right, they're gonna pull out now.
The fans are gonna come on. Watch yourself. Step back!
It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay.
I got you now.
Uh, watch-- watch-- watch yourself!
[crowd clamoring]
Charles! Hey, Charles! Charles!
What the hell are you doing? Charles!
[sighs] You're a coward! You are a coward, Charles!
You're a coward!
[Emmett wheezing]
[Bryant] I know everyone's feeling like-- like no one is coming to help us.
Everybody feels abandoned.
But the doctors-- It's like they've given up.
It's like they just stopped trying, and they're trying to…
Well, I guess they're leaving patients to themselves.
[patient] Nobody's getting out of here.
We're not getting out of here. We're not getting out.
[Bryant] Come on, we can't just do nothing.
So start walking the line. One end of the corridor to the other.
Check patients' BPs, their blood sugars.
If they need to be given medication, get them.
If they need urgent attention or monitoring,
see if you can find their medical records,
and-- and share them with any of the nurses on duty.
We were told to suspend care.
[scoffs] So? I don't care what those other doctors told you.
They're still our patients.
So we're gonna do what we can, best we can.
[sighs]
- [patients whimpering, mumbling] - [Rolfie whining]
[knocks on door]
[inhales deeply]
[Rolfie panting]
How's he doing?
He's doing all right.
Holding up.
Should I kill him?
Even if we can get out of here, they're not gonna let us take pets.
And I--
I just can't leave him.
- [thuds] - [Rolfie sneezes]
Should I-- Should I put him down?
[breathing shakily]
[patients coughing]
[Ewing sighs]
[Susan sighs]
You can't smoke in the hospital.
[Ewing] How's it going?
[sighs] Some of the staff have asked what…
what's the most humane thing to do with their pets.
The most humane thing is not to leave them behind to die.
How is that-- How's that done?
An injection of Pentothal.
- It's that simple. - Hmm.
You give them the shot, they go to sleep and die.
Is that-- [stammers]
Do you think that's the right thing to do?
[inhales deeply] We have to be realistic about the situation.
We are getting to that point.
Most humane thing to do is to put them down. Give them a little help.
Give them a little push.
[sighs]
[person] I'm telling you. I can't-- I can't stand this heat.
Copters. We got helicopters!
[Susan] Got it.
Karen, we've got helicopters. Start moving people.
-Copy. - Martin.
- Yeah. - We've got helicopters back.
Karen's moving patients. We've got to keep things orderly.
Right.
Hey, listen. Listen to me.
As was decided, patients with black wristbands, with DNRs,
they need to be set aside.
They go last, understand?
Yeah. [pants]
Shit.
Diane, the helicopters are back. There's a bunch of them.
Start moving patients. Start taking them to the helipad.
- Did you clear this with Memor-- - I'm not clearing anything with them.
We're moving our patients. Get the most critical out first.
Everybody, start moving patients! We're taking them to the helipad.
[nurse] Right now? Okay.
Emmett.
Hey. It's getting to be time to move patients.
I need you to hang on, okay?
Yeah. Okay.
Okay.
[Ewing] All right. [sighs]
Now you orient the needle as close to the heart as possible.
About a-- Well, about 10 ccs should take care of it.
Will it hurt?
They're animals. They don't understand what's going on.
Wh-- Jesus Christ. Never mind.
[Gina] Bring 'em down.
Come on, come on. Gentle.
That's it, come on.
That's it, just bring her on-- Just bring-- Be gentle.
That's it. Just keep going.
Hold on, hold on.
- No, we're not moving those patients yet. -"Those patients"? What's that mean?
Patients with black armbands. DNRs. They're going last.
- Well, she needs to go. - Black bands, DNRs go last.
I'm not arguing!
[sighs] I'm telling you. [breathes heavily]
Come on.
Okay, just bring her in. Come on. Come on.
There you go. [sighs]
[Gina] That's it.
Here we go. Yeah.
That's it.
That's it, that's it. You got this. Yeah. [chuckles]
Just sit up. There you go. Yeah, you stay with me.
Stay with me. That's it.
There you go.
There you go. That's it. That's it.
[Rolfie panting]
[sobbing]
[grunts]
[groans] Help.
[sobs] I need some help.
[patient breathing shakily]
What's happening?
Labored breathing, but I just-- I can't…
Okay, I got it.
[grunting]
It's okay. Where are you coming from?
LifeCare. They won't let us transport our patients.
People are up there dying.
Nobody cares.
I'll stay with her.
It's okay. I can stay with her.
[helicopter whirring in distance]
[sighs]
[Anna] She's passed.
Can you-- Can you… [groans]
I'll have someone take care of her.
Susan, have you heard from anybody? The police, the National Guard?
Is there any plan to get the patients out of here?
A plan? No.
No.
People keep telling us things, but I've… [stammers] …I've stopped believing.
I just watched a patient die. Another patient die.
- [Susan sighs] One of ours? - LifeCare.
Oh, God.
- They have got no help up there. - No.
- Nothing. - No.
[sighs]
You know… [sighs]
…I look at some of these patients…
and what-- what they're going through,
what-- what we're putting them through.
You know, they-- they're like my cancer patients.
You do everything you can to-- to try and help them. [stammers]
No matter the-- the odds, no matter--
no matter everything against you, you find a way.
[scoffs] You find a way to save a life.
But sometimes…
there is nothing else to do for them.
Except to make them comfortable.
[swallows] I agree.
You should talk to Dr. Cook about that.
[breathing heavily]
[breathing deeply]
Brother-man. How you doing?
Am I gonna make it out?
Everybody's gonna make it out.
I just know 'cause of my size…
Hey. We're gonna get you out like everybody else.
Okay?
- Okay. - All right.
- [person 1] Right over there. - [person 2] Look at that.
[officer] You've all been given a mandate from the city of New Orleans.
Your hospital's been put under evacuation orders.
We'll have rescue boats here soon.
You need to clear everybody out.
We have been trying to evacuate the hospital.
We have been trying to evacuate for the last two days.
I don't know what you've been doing before,
but I am telling you, everybody needs to be out and the building empty by 5:00 p.m.
- 5:00 p.m.? - It's almost noon.
How are we supposed to get everybody out in five hours?
With our head count, it'll take at least 24 hours.
- There are boats coming. - Whose?
More than enough. We're gonna be running them all day.
And why five o' clock? I mean, if you have the boats, we have people who can't move.
- The city is out of control. - They can't walk.
- Rioting, looting. - We have been begging…
We can't leave men to protect the building.
You've done nothing but make things worse.
5:00 p.m. the last boat leaves.
Everybody has to be out of the building, if we have to drag them out.
So what are we supposed to do?
[sighs]
[clicks tongue] We'll continue the evacuation as best we can.
We can't possibly get everybody out in five hours.
No living patient will be left behind.
[patients chattering]
We have been ordered to evacuate the hospital by five o'clock.
It's never gonna happen.
If you haven't spoken with Dr. Cook yet, now's the time.
Eve, take over for me.
I'll be right back.
[Anna speaking indistinctly]
[doctor] I wasn't trying to listen in on what they were saying,
but it's not like they were being real quiet.
What were they saying?
I'm not exactly sure.
Well, w-what do you think they were saying?
Okay, this is between me, you, and the fence post, okay?
They were talking about how we're not gonna get everybody out of here,
and how patients are suffering, and we have to find a way to end the suffering.
If there are patients who are in pain, we got to do everything we can to help.
That's not what they were talking about.
Just-- Just comfort, you know?
- I really don't think they were. - Who is "they"?
Ewing Cook and Anna Pou. They were talking about ending patient suffering.
[announcer speaking indistinctly]
We've got boats. Watch out, watch out now.
Move!
Start getting them ready. All right.
Back up from here.
[grunting]
All right. Right there, right there. Pull it up.
- [Susan] There. - [person] Thank you.
[Susan] There.
Sandra's gonna get you to the family, all right?
No.
Yep. She is.
And you just tell 'em I'm right behind you. Okay? I'm right behind you.
- [whimpers] - Yes. Come on.
I'll be right behind you.
[no audible dialogue]
[Ewing] Um, boats are here.
Minnie. Minnie, we gotta go.
[sniffles]
[staff member] Take it easy. Watch your step. All right. Come on.
- [nurse] Hey, you okay? - [staff member] I got you.
[nurse] I'm gonna help you out.
[staff member] Easy, easy.
Whoa, hey, hey. You can't bring that pet on.
It's okay. They can take him. We got room.
Watch your step.
[breathing shakily]
[speaks indistinctly]
Excuse me.
Yes. Uh, thank you.
- Horace. - Yeah.
We need to seriously lower our head count,
and I think that you should evacuate with the next group.
Evacuate? [laughs]
Susan, I can't evacuate. I'm a doctor.
Doctors look after patients.
- Come on. I'm a doctor. - Horace, Horace,
there is nothing else any of us can do.
And there's nothing more that I would ask you to do.
It's time to go.
[sighs]
[police officers chattering]
Get downstairs, now! Let's go! Everybody, downstairs!
[nurse] Dr. King.
Would you like to join us in a prayer?
I have people I have to take care of.
[nurse praying] ...hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
Downstairs, everybody. Let's go. Right now!
Downstairs. Everybody.
Dr. Baltz?
[breathing heavily]
Everybody, let's go. Downstairs.
[officer] I will move you forcefully. Please.
Let's go. Downstairs.
You, get downstairs. Right now.
Everybody. Off the floor. Let's go.
Downstairs, right now. Everybody that can move, move.
Everybody. Downstairs. Let's go.
[officer] Go downstairs. Down the stairway.
Get downstairs right now.
Let's go. Everybody, on the move. Downstairs. Let's--
Come on. Everybody out.
- Hospital's being evacuated. - No. This is my mother.
I'm not leaving my mother.
- We are evacuating the hospital. - They're not gonna help her.
Nobody's gonna help her.
You can either leave on your own,
- or you'll be charged with trespassing! - She is my mother!
I'm not leaving her.
I don't care what happens to me. Just--
Please let me stay with my mother.
Please.
[sighs] Get her out of here.
- No. Wait, wait, wait. - Let's go.
- Let me say goodbye to her! - Move!
Let me say goodbye, please! Please! Please!
Say goodbye.
[breathing shakily]
Mom.
Mom, hey, hey, hey.
The police are here.
They're making me leave the hospital, so-- so, I can't stay with you.
[sniffles] It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay for you to go and be with Jesus.
You're going home.
[crying, sniffling]
[breathes deeply]
[Richard] How's it going?
These aren't Coast Guard copters. They can't fly at night.
As soon as it gets dark, we have to cut it off.
Anybody who's getting out of here…
they've got an hour.
[sighs]
[Anna] We all have done…
all that anyone could do…
- Diane? - [Anna] …and you should be proud of that.
- [nurse sobbing] - A decision has been made.
- It's the best decision-- - [Gina] What's going on?
Fuck.
[Anna] It's the only decision.
Therese?
- [sobs] - Therese.
- They can't do this. - Do what?
[sniffles] They're our patients.
[Gina] Diane?
What's going on?
The doctors from Memorial…
they're gonna take over care of our patients.
What's that mean?
I don't think our patients are gonna be evacuated.
- [Gina sighs] - They aren't gonna leave.
Wh-Why is no one coming to help us?
Why-- Why is nobody doing anything?
I know-- I mean, this is bullshit. We've been with these patients for five days.
We're supposed to just leave them?
We just supposed to just-- just leave them?
What's gonna happen, we--
we can't stop from happening.
[crying]
Get the staff.
- Get them off the floor. Okay? - [breathing shakily]
You have to take care of them. Okay?
Okay.
[crying, sniffling]
[Emmett breathing heavily]
Emmett?
The staff is being told to evacuate the hospital.
And they're making us leave.
And they're making us leave right now.
But you said you wasn't gonna leave me.
There-- There are gonna be doctors here from Memorial.
They're gonna take care of you, stay with you.
But they're still gonna get me out of here, right?
[Emmett breathing heavily]
They're gonna stay with you.
Nobody's gonna leave you alone.
If it, um--
If it comes to it, my wife's name is Carrie.
- I know. - And--
Tell-- [sighs]
Just--
Just tell her whatever.
God has truly blessed you.
[Diane cries]
Just-- Just look to the future.
Just move on forward.
I'm sorry.
I know.
[staff members crying]
Anna. Can you lend a hand?
I have to go back up to seven.
[Karen] Are you going up to LifeCare? Are patients still up there?
A few, yeah.
We're gonna do everything we can to make them comfortable. Yeah.
Okay, everybody. Everybody?
Everybody, listen up.
We are getting all of these patients out of here. Every one of them.
We are nurses.
And we are gonna get it done. I need help.
Okay. Hey, Rodney. You ready to go?
- Yeah. - [Karen] We're getting you out of here.
Okay. We're getting Rodney out of here, understand?
[officer] Off the floor! Let's go!
I have to go back.
- [officer] Let's go! - [Diane] I can't-- I have to. I have to.
I have to go back.
- [Gina] Diane. - [Diane] Go back…
[Gina] Diane.
I need to go back upstairs. I need to check on a patient.
- We're keeping track of the patients. - No, no. I-- I work at LifeCare.
Anything you need to know, you can email our corporate office.
- We'll let you know-- - Why your offices?
- We're a different hospital. - We're evacuating.
You need to go. Now.
[officer 1] Let's go, everybody!
[officer 2] Oh, don't carry that. Just leave it behind. Let's go.
[officer 1] Let's go!
[Gina] Diane.
Diane.
[officer 1] Everybody, get off the floor!
We need to go.
[nurse] Watch it.
Almost there. Almost there.
Okay. Okay.
Careful. Careful. All right.
[nurse 2] All right. Just there. That's it. You okay?
- Got the brake? - [nurse 2] Got the brake?
[nurse 3] Get the board. Get the board in place.
[nurses] Careful.
- [Karen] All right. - [all] One, two, three.
[strains]
- [nurse 1] Watch it. - All right. Watch this leg.
[Karen] All right. Y'all ready?
- Ready? - [nurse 2] Yeah, ready.
One, two, three. [strains]
[Karen] Okay.
[nurse 3] Rodney, you're doing great.
We're gonna drive you up to the roof, all right?
[grunting, straining]
[Karen] Susan. Susan, you got him?
I got him.
[Karen] All right. Get him to the roof. Okay, let's go.
[nurse 2] Okay. Okay. You guys ready?
One, two, three. [strains]
- Tak-Tak-Take it slow, careful. Careful. - Careful.
Easy now.
All right. Take it easy, y'all. Come on. We got this.
Okay. Okay. Watch the corner.
Careful now. We gotta step. Another step.
[sighs] Okay.
Come on.
[nurse 2 strains] We got this. We got this. Go, go, go!
Come on.
All right. All right, you got it? You good? You got your side?
Here we go. [strains]
I got it.
[Karen] Easy.
Okay. One more step.
- [nurses straining] - Push. You got this.
The corner. Watch that corner.
[nurse 3] Come on, come, come on.
[nurses grunting]
- Hold on. Hold on. - Come on, guys. Come on.
All right.
All right. [sighs]
Okay. Whew.
[breathes deeply]
Okay. [breathes heavily]
Okay.
Let's go.
Anybody left will be on their own.
[slow footsteps]
[breathing heavily]