2005 - 09-05-04

Our biggest adventure today was raiding the
Walgreens on Canal under police escort.
The pharmacy was dark and fulll of water.
We basically scooped the entire drug sets
into gargace bags and removed them. All
under police excort. The looters had to be
held back at gun point. After a dose of
prophylactic Cipro I hope to be fine.

In all we are faring well. We have set up
a hospital in the the French Qarter bar in
the hotel, and will start admitting patients
today. Many with be from the hotel, but
many with not. We are anticipating to
dealing with multiple medical problems,
medications and and acute injuries.
Infection and perhaps even cholera are
anticipated major problems. Food and water
shortages are iminent.

The biggest question to all of us is where
is the national guard. We hear jet fighters
and helicopters, but no real armed presence,
and hence the rampant looting. There is no
Red Cross and no Salvation Army.

In a sort of cliché way, this is an edifying
experience. Once is rapidly focused away
from the transient and material to the bare
necessities of life. It has been
challenging to me to learn how to be a
primary care phyisican. We are under
martial law so return to our homes is
impossible. I don't know how long it will
be and this is my greatest fear. Despite it
all, this is a soul edify experience. The
greatest pain is to think about the loss.
And how long the rebuild will. And the
horror of so many dead people.

PLEASE SEND THIS DISPATCH TO ALL YOU THING
MAY BE INTERSTED IN A DISPATCH From the
front. I will send more according to your
interest. Hopefully their collective
prayers will be answered. By the way suture
packs, sterile gloves and stethoscopes will
be needed as the Ritz turns into a MASH