NO Doctors charged with murder

Medics held over Katrina deaths

A doctor and two nurses have been arrested in the US city of New Orleans over the deaths of hospital patients after Hurricane Katrina last year.

The Louisiana attorney general's office said the three had been charged with murdering four patients.

At least 34 patients died at Memorial Medical Center, which was cut off after Katrina hit the city on 29 August.

Prosecutors have investigated claims of negligence and euthanasia and subpoenaed 73 staff in the inquiry.

Dr Anna Pou and nurses Lori Budo and Cheri Landry are accused of giving patients lethal doses of morphine and a sedative.

Louisiana Attorney General Charles C Foti said: "This is not euthanasia. This is homicide."

He added: "While I am aware of the horrendous conditions that existed after Hurricane Katrina... I believe that there is no excuse for intentionally killing another living human being."

He said he expected more arrests to follow.

A lawyer for Dr Pou said she was innocent of the charges.

Jen

Well, if the Gubmint had shown up in time, the doctors would not have been forced to make horrible choices (ie leave the very sick to die slowly in their own waste, without medication of any sort) or just kill them now because they were doomed. I truly hope that any court that hears this is allowed to debate the "if not fors" here--ie would the patients have lived anyway?

I just wonder if middle class white people would be murdered in the same way, and it is murder.

The fact that the three people charged are white and the doctor who brought this to light was black also makes me wonder about the value of life here.