Breaking News: Haiti hit by a 7.0 quake

[The Duchess of Zeon]

They can spend time trying to repair the ports. What they can also do is taken advantage of Domican ports and use heavy equipment to clear basic road ways.

Quite, but the level of construction required is going to mandate a huge military engineering commitment from every nation of the world to effect it in the necessary timely manner.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Skimmer and I have been doing some google satellite studying which is a less sophisticated version of what the Pentagon is probably doing right now, and some positive news; Haiti does posses the following ports:

Cap-Haitien: A single dock capable of handling two small self-unloading container ships and maybe a couple interland vessels. Perhaps three if pushed. The downside is that it's more than 80 miles as the crow flies from Port-au-Prince, basically on the furthest side of the country from the capital. That means it's intact, buut...

Saint-Marc: Closest town to the capital with a wharf, and god it looks like an old 19th century vintage real wharf, not a modern dock, but it could handle one 200 foot self-unloading cargo vessel, and a couple of trawlers.

Port de Gonaives Oest: One pier able to handle one self-unloading cargo ship and one tanker at a time, maximum.

All of these ports require self-unloading gear; there were only three dockyard cranes in the entire country (which for a population of ten million is a terrifying thing for someone who knows logistics to even think about). Now there are none. They are also disparate and spread out from much of the population, magnifying the need for rapid infrastructure work.

In comparison the port of Kalama on the Columbia river with a couple thousand people, virtually has as much dockyard capacity as all of Haiti does right now...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Death toll may reach 200,000.

Haiti quake death toll may hit 200,000: minister
Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:49pm EST

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - The death toll from Haiti's earthquake could reach 200,000, Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime told Reuters on Friday.

"We have already collected around 50,000 dead bodies we anticipate there will be between 100,000 and 200,000 dead in total, although we will never know the exact number," he said.

[Broomstick]

And we will need huge military engineering units to start restoring roads into the interior to prevent the population there from starving to death as well, and reestablishing the road links to the Dominican Republic so food can also be brought in from Dominican ports, which may need to be upgraded to handle that level of traffic.

By some miracle the main road from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince survived the quake and, until you get to the city proper and all its rubble, was open enough for trucks to use it the day after the quake.

Outside of Port-au-Prince a lot of the buildings and construction was so flimsy that it was actually safer than concrete block and brick, in that the building materials were so lightweight they were less likely to kill and it was easier to get people out from under them. Likewise, clearing such debris from roads is much easier as well.

A problem, though, is that many able-bodied people have walked out of Port-au-Prince on their own, in sufficient numbers as to overwhelm anything outside the city by sheer numbers.

Another long term need that Haiti is absolutely not equipped to handle are all the amputations and other disabilities arising from the earthquake. Public health in Haiti was already a disaster, that will only make it worse.

[CaptainChewbacca]

There's talk that the orphans, the injured, and the elderly may be relocated to the US until such time as Haiti can accomodate their return.

Which is, to say... never.

[Broomstick]

Uh, yeah, because the US social services safety net is sooooooooo fucking good....!

The lucky ones will wind up in Canada.

Seriously - you're going to relocate the ill, injured, disabled, and elderly to a country where what healthcare you get is determined by what sort of job/employer you have? Oh, yeah, that's going to have a happy ending!

[Broomstick]

NEWSFLASH! Reporter doesn't just stand by and watch, he actually tries to help!

More seriously, for those of you who may not be familiar with him, Sanjay Gupta is a CNN reporter who also happens to be an MD. I've got a lot more respect for him than the average reporter and these two video clips show why - granted, there is little he can do, but he does set aside the reporter's hat and at least try.

Examing newborn for head injury

Last doctor to leave field hospital

From the report on the second video clip:

The only doctor left at the U.N. field hospital was CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, who assessed the needs of the 25 patients but with no supplies, there was little he could do.

Gupta monitored patients' vital signs, administered painkillers and continued intravenous drips. He stabilized three new patients in critical condition.

We need a lot more people like this guy in the world.

[Broomstick]

Good news on that field hospital, from CNN:

7:33 a.m. -- United Nations doctors returned Saturday morning to a field hospital they were forced to abandon Friday night, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta reported. Gupta stayed through the night as the only physician caring for patients. "The patients are all doing great, and they're all going to get great care," Gupta said.

[FSTargetDrone]

Gupta has helped out in disaster/war zones before, notably in 2003, performing brain surgery on a child (who later died due the severity of the injuries) and also on some soldiers in 2006 (who did survive).

More about Gupta:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the Emmy®-award winning chief medical correspondent for the Health, Medical & Wellness unit at CNN. Gupta, also a practicing neurosurgeon, plays an integral role in the network's lead reporting on breaking medical news, regular health reports for American Morning and Anderson Cooper 360°, anchoring the weekend medical affairs program Sanjay Gupta, MD, and reporting for CNN documentaries. Gupta also contributes to CNN.com and CNNHealth.com, co-hosts “Accent Health” for Turner Private Networks, writes a column for TIME magazine, and anchors the global health program, Vital Signs for CNN International.

Based in Atlanta, Gupta joined CNN in the summer of 2001 and led CNN’s reporting on anthrax following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City. In 2003, Gupta embedded with the U.S. Navy’s "Devil Docs” medical unit and reported from Iraq and Kuwait from points along the unit's travel to Baghdad. He also provided live coverage from a desert operating room of the first operation performed during the U.S.-led war with Iraq, performing life-saving brain surgery five times himself.

In 2004, Gupta was sent to Sri Lanka to cover the tsunami disaster that took more than 155,000 lives in South Asia, contributing to the 2005 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award for CNN. Gupta also contributed to CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, breaking the news that official reports that Charity Hospital in New Orleans had been evacuated were incorrect, and revealing that more than 200 patients remained there for five days after the storm made landfall. The “Charity Hospital” reporting for Anderson Cooper 360° resulted in his 2006 News & Documentary Emmy® for Outstanding Feature Story.

During the 2008 presidential campaign year, Gupta reported extensively on the various health care policy proposals put forward by the candidates, and the documentaries “First Patient” and “Fit to Lead,” investigating the toll that the nation’s highest office takes on the health of the commander-in-chief, and the health of the Presidential candidates, respectively.

In 2009, Gupta led CNN’s coverage of the H1N1 flu from Mexico and CDC headquarters in Atlanta. His reporting included an interview with the small boy who may have been “patient zero,” and added clarity and context to a rapidly evolving global pandemic.

Gupta’s passion for inspiring Americans to lead healthier, more active lives led him to launch "New You Resolution" and later “Fit Nation,” CNN’s multi-platform grassroots anti-obesity initiatives. In 2010, “Fit Nation” will follow the progress of Gupta and CNN viewers as they inspire each other towards better fitness, culminating in triathlon events in New York and Washington, DC.

In addition to his work for CNN, Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty at the Emory University School of Medicine. He is associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital and regularly performs surgery at Emory University and Grady hospitals. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He serves as a diplomat of the American Board of Neurosurgery, is a certified medical investigator, and is a board member of the Lance Armstrong LiveStrong Foundation.

Before joining CNN, Gupta served in separate neurosurgical fellowships at the University of Tennessee's Semmes-Murphy clinic and the University of Michigan Medical Center. In 1997, he was selected as a White House Fellow, serving as a special advisor to First Lady Hillary Clinton.

Gupta is also a contributor to the newsmagazine program, “60 Minutes” and to Evening News with Katie Couric on CBS, as well as the author of two best-selling books, Chasing Life (2007) and Cheating Death (2009), both of which became companion documentaries for CNN.

In 2003, Gupta was named one of PEOPLE magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" and a "pop culture icon" by USA Today. That same year he also won the Humanitarian Award from the National Press Photographers Association. In 2004, the Atlanta Press Club named him "Journalist of the Year," and in 2009, he won both the first Health Communications Achievement Award from the American Medical Association’s Medical Communications Conference and the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award from the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC).

Gupta received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate of medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School.

[Alyeska]

I have a friend who is in Haiti right now. She is north of Port-au-Prince. She was doing work helping out at an orphanage. We are trying to get word to her (she survived the quake and the town is relatively undamaged) to get the hell out of there as quickly as she can. The fewer mouths to feed, the better Haiti is in the short term. We are trying to get her name added to the State Department list of American citizens over in Haiti. Going through Max Baucus's office right now. I am relieved to know that the air port is still functional. Having the 82nd airborne and 2,200 marines is going to be helpful. Having an entire Aircraft Carriers worth of helicopters in addition to the compliment on the USS Bataan is also going to be desperately needed.

And the news that I am now hearing is also good. The main road between to the Domican Republic still being operation, a god send. And to have other possible port facilities, also very good. They might not be deep water ports, but a bunch of medium level ports that can handle an influx of small and medium ships are still very useful. I just worry about the mounting death toll. Then again, in a very macabre way, the dead are fewer mouths to feed. I know that sounds horrible, but it is a simple fact.

[Sephirius]

To have a break from the doom and gloom filling this thread, here's some funny stuff from the interweb for charity.
Pat Robertson Voodoo Doll!

[Simon_Jester]

A question to the board: which charities working on earthquake relief do you think it makes the most sense to donate to?

Rush determined to beat Robertson for Biggest Jackass...
Confronted with some of that criticism, Limbaugh slammed a caller as “close-minded.”
“What I’m illustrating here is that you’re a blockhead,” Limbaugh shot back. “What I’m illustrating here is that you’re a close-minded bigot who is ill-informed.”
“If you had listened to this program for a modicum of time, you would know it,” he said. “But instead, you’re a blockhead. Your mind is totally closed. You have tampons in your ears. Nothing is getting through other than the biased crap that you read.”

I mean seriously, what is wrong with the man?[/quote]It's simple. He talks to himself on national radio programming. And he's surprisingly good at self-analysis, too...

Uh, yeah, because the US social services safety net is sooooooooo fucking good....!
The lucky ones will wind up in Canada.
Seriously - you're going to relocate the ill, injured, disabled, and elderly to a country where what healthcare you get is determined by what sort of job/employer you have? Oh, yeah, that's going to have a happy ending!

We're working on it, but something like half the country and three quarters of the money is controlled by evil idiots, so it's not going to change fast enough to help a wave of earthquake refugees.

[Metatwaddle]

Doctors Without Borders is a good one. I donated to them a couple of days ago. They specialize in getting medical care to people in disaster areas and war zones, and they have a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. They're also completely secular.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I did the thing where you text 'HAITI' to the number 90999. That sends $10 to the Red Cross and tacks it on my phone bill. Amazingly useful.

And for a moonbat from the opposite end of the spectrum, Danny Glover thinks the Haiti Quake is the result of us not doing well at Coppenhagan.

Actually it was our failure to respond to global warming at the Copenhagen Summit. Danny Glover said, "When we see what we did at the climate summit in Copenhagen, this is the response, this is what happens, you know what I'm sayin'?"

There's a video, in case you were hoping he was somehow quoted out of context.

[Lonestar]

]I mean seriously, what is wrong with the man?

I wonder what his thoughts were with the 2004 Tsunami relief...Bush just ordering the relief to score points off of Brown Folks?

More seriously, why can't these disaster relief missions got out with both the job to do good and improve American PR?

[Thanas]

More seriously, for those of you who may not be familiar with him, Sanjay Gupta is a CNN reporter who also happens to be an MD. I've got a lot more respect for him than the average reporter and these two video clips show why - granted, there is little he can do, but he does set aside the reporter's hat and at least try.

Gupta however has been comically wrong on other things as well in the past, I have got little respect for him overall. Though I do agree that this was a very good thing to do.

[Broomstick]

As I have more or less ZERO respect for American "journalists" having any respect at all is, really, having more respect than usual.

Of course Gupta has been "comically wrong" on some things. That is a trait of reporters. He might even be a complete asshole on a social level, I have no way of knowing. However, staying put to help people abandoned by others shows a certain level of ethics all too frequently absent in people. I don't have to particularly like someone to recognize when they do the right thing, especially when it may put themselves at some personal risk.

[Thanas]

Well, he is one of those corporate insurance people who favor the McCain "health plan" after all.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Well, he is one of those corporate insurance people who favor the McCain "health plan" after all.

He's a formally trained as a neurosurgeon, and is therefore probably pretty removed from the tens of thousands of forms that insurance companies force less specialized doctors to endlessly fill out in the US, which is a good way to come to support universalized healthcare. But once you get sent to a neurosurgeon most of the endless justification to the insurance companies is done, and he works at a hospital at that, so possibly has a staff pool. And his hospital work is somewhat secondary to his medical correspondence and his teaching career, so on top of all that I doubt he really sees or gets a good feel for exactly how bad things are.

[Netko]

As I have more or less ZERO respect for American "journalists" having any respect at all is, really, having more respect than usual.

Of course Gupta has been "comically wrong" on some things. That is a trait of reporters. He might even be a complete asshole on a social level, I have no way of knowing. However, staying put to help people abandoned by others shows a certain level of ethics all too frequently absent in people. I don't have to particularly like someone to recognize when they do the right thing, especially when it may put themselves at some personal risk.

Thing is though, the way its exploited by CNN ("The decision left CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta as the only doctor at the hospital to get the patients through the night." as the second sentence), with presumably Gupta's support, is pretty problematic. Namely, there is a lot of criticism and heroisation of Gupta based on them leaving do to security concerns and him staying, while ignoring that he did have an armed security team with him to look after him (he mentions them in passing in one of the videos), while the Belgian doctors were told by command that there were no peacekeepers available to secure them. Its somewhat easier to stay the night in a really bad part of Haiti (apparently, the site is in what was previously a dangerous slum), when you have armed bodyguards to watch over you. Basically, its sensationalism playing on people's base emotions instead of responsible journalism which would have noted the lack of security and thus the doctors being forced to leave and ended the report then. And he could then, with the cameras off, do the same damn thing as he did anyway. He inserted himself into the story for no good reason, and his story is being used (as you can see in the comments) for UN and eurobashing. Which can bring nothing good to the situation in Haiti where resources are stretched and certainly not available to mollycoddle US reporters and their expectations.

I would be far more impressed by his actions if he talked to the Belgians and offered an assurance that him and, more importantly, his security team would stay for the night and secure the site, instead of being an annoying reporter on who's assistance nobody could rely (he could have left at any moment). Now, maybe that was offered and turned down, in which case, go go Dr. Gupta, however, there hasn't been any reporting of any such offer being made.

[Broomstick]

Thing is though, the way its exploited by CNN ("The decision left CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta as the only doctor at the hospital to get the patients through the night." as the second sentence), with presumably Gupta's support, is pretty problematic.

Of course it's exploited by CNN.

Namely, there is a lot of criticism and heroisation of Gupta based on them leaving do to security concerns and him staying, while ignoring that he did have an armed security team with him to look after him (he mentions them in passing in one of the videos), while the Belgian doctors were told by command that there were no peacekeepers available to secure them.

Those showing up to render aid have ALSO been told, repeatedly, that they must bring EVERYTHING they need. Everything. Why do reporters bring their own security? Because they know they can't depend on the UN to babysit them. Likewise, these Belgians should have brought or hired security. Seriously, for just food and water, never mind money, I'm sure they could have hired a couple dozen native Haitian men to stand in a big circle and growl at anyone intent on causing trouble.

If it was that unsafe for the able bodied doctors, how much more unsafe was it for for the injured and ill lying helpless in those tents? Or is it OK to entirely abandon them merely because they're poor and Haitian?

It's fucking cruel to show up, doctor for an afternoon, then abandon injured people with the excuse it's too dangerous for you to stay but, oh, you with the broken limbs who just went through surgery, just lie there all fucking night, in the dark, completely on your own. If you can't handle some personal danger don't go into a disaster zone like that!

He inserted himself into the story for no good reason, and his story is being used (as you can see in the comments) for UN and eurobashing.

No good reason? Tending to 25 severely ill people all night long isn't a good reason? Or should he do that and just shut the hell up and not let anyone know?

Abandoning those people was wrong. Now, at the time the decision was made it might have seemed to be a good idea. None of us here were on the ground, but in retrospect it was wrong and heartless. The medical personnel pulled out but made no effort to also pull out the patients? WTF?

The publicity has had a positive effect - security will now be provided so those doctors will remain at that location round the clock. Ideally that should have been done from the start. Maybe next disaster Belgian medics will take on the responsibility of making sure they have adequate security from the start instead of relying on someone else equally over worked and stretch thin to solve that problem for them.

Which can bring nothing good to the situation in Haiti where resources are stretched and certainly not available to mollycoddle US reporters and their expectations.

I find it hard to say Dr. Gupta or his crew is "mollycoddled" when they spent all night taking care of injured people in conditions no better than that "enjoyed" by the Haitians around them, when the lights went out leaving them in complete darkness, and stuck around taking the same risks as the injured parties they stayed with. If anyone was "mollycoddled" it was Belgian medics abandoning their patients at the first sound of trouble in the distance.

I would be far more impressed by his actions if he talked to the Belgians and offered an assurance that him and, more importantly, his security team would stay for the night and secure the site, instead of being an annoying reporter on who's assistance nobody could rely (he could have left at any moment).

Ah - but he didn't leave, did he? He COULD have left and found a much safer, nicer place to stay and actually get some sleep that night but he didn't. He stayed out of his own free will to take care of those people. It seems to me it's the Belgians in this case who couldn't be relied upon.

And, not only did the Belgians leave they took all the supplies with them! Gupta and his crew stayed, but the Belgians refused to leave them with anything? If there were no medically trained people perhaps I could understand somewhat, but Gupta is a doctor, a trained surgeon, who has (as others have noted) stepped out of his reporter's role to render medical aid in the past. They couldn't leave at least SOME supplies with him?

Now, maybe that was offered and turned down, in which case, go go Dr. Gupta, however, there hasn't been any reporting of any such offer being made.

I think it's safe to say we'll never know all the details in such circumstances. However, Dr. Gupta did stay to give medical aid throughout the night, did he not? Would you prefer he NOT give medical aid when he is there and someone needs help? He has life-saving skills, it is entirely appropriate that he set down the microphone or camera and use them when someone needs help. It is also appropriate that these actions be mentioned when they occur. I realize that reporters are supposed to be objective, but I find it morally repugnant to hold to that when "interference" can save lives.

Euro-bashing? Yes, it's unfortunate that this is being done - the problem is not that Belgians are unprepared, chicken-shit assholes who routinely abandon the suffering, the problem is that a particular group of people did that. The fact they are Belgian is irrelevant. It would be just as wrong if they were Chinese or American or fellow Haitians. Nor is it some national trait of Belgians to act that way, I'm sure there are plenty of Belgians who wouldn't do that. One of the root problems here are people rushing into a disaster zone without being fully prepared for what awaits them... including a need for security.

Keep in mind, too, that CNN is an American news outlet. Americans are arguably more comfortable with personal risk than some other nationalities. They might also be more inclined to defy authority as well. What might be perceived by someone elsewhere as obedience might be seen by Americans as cowardice. I have no doubt such cultural perceptions also color reactions to a story such as this.

[Netko]

The problem is not him using his medical skills to help people (of course not), its using his medical skills to help people some of the time while aggrandising himself by using his primary profession, being a reporter. I'm sure that Doctors without frontiers or the IRC would not turn down his offers to go in as a doctor (I'm sure there are, unfortunately, even many patients with traumatic head injuries that could use his specialisation). As it is, in direct medical help, he's marginally effective compared to any volunteer doctor there, because he's instead using his time to make reports in which he is getting personally inserted as a doctor. His reporting does not contain anything requiring his medical skills, so why hasn't he ditched his camera crew and started actually using his medical skills full time when he saw the extent of the devastation instead of playing CNN's doctor on CNN. I'm sure it has nothing to do with fame and ratings. If CNN wanted to do this properly they would have sent Gupta in as a volunteer doctor and potentially have a reporter and camera crew follow him to document the efforts. Him playing reporter (and helping occasionally when he feels like it/is moved) with his skillset in pulverised Haiti seems very Nero-like (as in fiddling while Rome burns) to me.

Of course he should have stayed in that situation, especially with his skillset, however was there really a need to report how he himself is heroically staying when everyone else is leaving? Also, while now that particular location might get protection, do you really think it won't hurt security and the ability to help people elsewhere? I'm pretty sure that organisations that have vast experience in this sort of thing (UN, MSF, IRC) were already using their assets relatively efficiently. As for them taking everything with them - supplies are scarce at this moment, and since the security fear was looting mobs, taking them along is logical. Like it or not, both the supplies and the medical teams are valuable resources that must be used with a degree of additional care. A patient dying or being unable to do work because of his injuries is regrettable, but the same thing happening to a medical professional in this situation is exponentially worse because then he or she cannot treat other patients.

Keep in mind, too, that CNN is an American news outlet. Americans are arguably more comfortable with personal risk than some other nationalities. They might also be more inclined to defy authority as well. What might be perceived by someone elsewhere as obedience might be seen by Americans as cowardice. I have no doubt such cultural perceptions also color reactions to a story such as this.

And those cultural perceptions are dead wrong. US medical teams left people after Katrina do to security fears in several incidents, and many relief workers weren't let into the area at all do to security concerns. US fantasy expectations are one thing, rational resource management after a disaster is a whole other thing and has little to do with cultural perceptions.

[Broomstick]

The problem is not him using his medical skills to help people (of course not), its using his medical skills to help people some of the time while aggrandising himself by using his primary profession, being a reporter.

Actually, he actually is a practicing doctor and a teacher - reporting is only part of what he does day-to-day.

I'm sure that Doctors without frontiers or the IRC would not turn down his offers to go in as a doctor (I'm sure there are, unfortunately, even many patients with traumatic head injuries that could use his specialisation). As it is, in direct medical help, he's marginally effective compared to any volunteer doctor there, because he's instead using his time to make reports in which he is getting personally inserted as a doctor.

He was hired to go there as a reporter, not as a doctor. So far as I can determine, he has not refused anyone who has asked him for help. I don't think these incidents are in any way being manufactured, there are, after all, tens of thousands of injured people all over Haiti at the moment.

Gupta is CNN's chief medical correspondent. He's already unusual for being a medical reporter with actual medical training. He was sent to report on the medical aspect of the situation in Haiti. By publicizing what things are like it helps to encourage donations and assistance. That is, actually, one of the benefits of sending reporters to disaster zones - or do you seriously think Haiti would be getting as much help as it is if no one reported on the situation there?

So I'm not sure what you're complaining about - that he's a journalist with medical training? A doctor who is also a reporter? That he's reporting instead of doctoring? Doctoring instead of reporting?

His reporting does not contain anything requiring his medical skills, so why hasn't he ditched his camera crew and started actually using his medical skills full time when he saw the extent of the devastation instead of playing CNN's doctor on CNN.

Because he was hired and sent there by CNN as a reporter, not as a doctor. If he wanted to go as a doctor there is nothing stopping him from doing so, but I'd expect that CNN would not be providing him with support unless he agreed to having a camera crew follow him.

And he's not playing doctor, he IS a doctor.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with fame and ratings. If CNN wanted to do this properly they would have sent Gupta in as a volunteer doctor and potentially have a reporter and camera crew follow him to document the efforts. Him playing reporter (and helping occasionally when he feels like it/is moved) with his skillset in pulverised Haiti seems very Nero-like (as in fiddling while Rome burns) to me.

Um... but you're criticizing him for actually rendering aid when asked to do so?

What Haiti really needs right now are emergency medical personnel and trauma surgeons. Gupta is a neurosurgeon, and that's a different specialty Yes, it certainly could be useful for head trauma, but that's only a small slice of what's going on. In the past, when there has been a case where his specialized skills could be useful he has not hesitated to use them. Just because he's a doctor and even a type of surgeon doesn't mean he'd really be the best guy for, say, reducing a fractured femur or performing an arm amputation. Certainly he can render certain types of basic care, but so can a lot of other people on the scene.

Arguably, by publicizing the needs in the location he does more good by encouraging others to give.

however was there really a need to report how he himself is heroically staying when everyone else is leaving?

Why not? If there is a problem with providing adequate security for medical personnel and patients shouldn't he report that? And didn't reporting that provide acceptable security on subsequent nights?

Also, while now that particular location might get protection, do you really think it won't hurt security and the ability to help people elsewhere? I'm pretty sure that organisations that have vast experience in this sort of thing (UN, MSF, IRC) were already using their assets relatively efficiently.

And anyone who has worked a disaster will tell you fuck ups happen. Things go wrong in chaotic situations. It could have easily been a miscommunication aggravated by language barriers. One reason so many military personnel are pouring into the region is in order to provide security to aid workers.

The bitter fact is that we can not and will not be able to help everyone in the affected area. Some decisions will have to be made. I don't see how you can argue that setting up a field hospital then abandoning it every night due to lack of security is in any way a good thing. Either that was the wrong location to set up, or security should be provided. Either way, abandoning the patients is a breach of ethics from my viewpoint. You can evacuate the doctors but not the patients? WTF?

As for them taking everything with them - supplies are scarce at this moment, and since the security fear was looting mobs, taking them along is logical.

The security fear was the sound of gunfire and unrest in the distance. I do not get the impression that the location was in immediate danger of being overrun. Gupta was staying with his security and crew, could they have left him more than what they did?

Keep in mind, too, that CNN is an American news outlet. Americans are arguably more comfortable with personal risk than some other nationalities. They might also be more inclined to defy authority as well. What might be perceived by someone elsewhere as obedience might be seen by Americans as cowardice. I have no doubt such cultural perceptions also color reactions to a story such as this.

And those cultural perceptions are dead wrong.

Bullshit. I am tired of the US bashing for every fucking disaster we try to help out in. The one thing you can rely on Americans to do is go rushing full tilt into the mess to try to help, no matter where in the world it happens. You may, as a European, disagree with our cultural values, but the assessment that "Americans regard Europeans in general as cowards" is not "dead wrong" - it actually IS how many Americans view Europeans. I'm not talking about some factual definition of bravery, I'm talking about how you are perceived. By American cultural standards a lot of Europeans ARE pussies and whiners. Just as by European standards a lot of Americans are loud mouthed violent assholes. Those two divergent viewpoints are one reason we get cultural conflicts.

US medical teams left people after Katrina do to security fears in several incidents, and many relief workers weren't let into the area at all do to security concerns.

And a lot of medical people STAYED in New Orleans during Katrina, through the whole fucking hurricane and afterward. And the US authorities had to threaten US aid workers and volunteers with arrest because they wanted to go in despite the danger. Some people did sneak into the disaster area to give help despite threats of punishment. It wasn't that the Americans didn't want to pour in and help, they were prevented from doing so.

US values say you go in and help people, and once there you do not abandon them. Of course, not everyone lives up to that standard, but it is a cultural meme here. You see it in the military with their attitude of "no man left behind" (even if he's dead). It's why those annoying Americans show up every fucking where there is a disaster.

There is no way an American is going to read "leave the hospital and the patients behind" as anything BUT cowardice and immoral abandonment of the helpless. You can talk about "rational resource management" all you want, that's not going to change the emotional perception.

Personally, I think it would have been better not to mention the nationality of the medical people involved, as it just leads to this sort of bashing back and forth, but mentioned it was.

[Kane Starkiller]

US values say you go in and help people, and once there you do not abandon them. Of course, not everyone lives up to that standard, but it is a cultural meme here.

So trying to help people in need and not abandoning them are "US values"? Are you also going to introduce us to a US invention called the wheel?

[Agent Fisher]

Broomstick isn't saying that those are exclusively US Values, but they are values that the US people hold dear. I'm sure there are many other nations that hold those same values.