As I was doing my morning reading, I came across this article about a Belgian medical team abandoning a group of 25 earthquake victims, some with severe trauma. The United Nations had ordered the team out based on security concerns, leaving the patients in the care of a TV reporter/commentator/doctor named Sanjay Gupta.
The article and its tone bothered me. I don't like it when news people make themselves the lead story. A New York Times article captured my unease:
"On Thursday night Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, led a camera crew through one of the few remaining hospitals in the region. As he passed wounded and dying victims, he explained that there were no doctors or nurses there to treat them. But CNN made a point of repeatedly showing another scene in which Dr. Gupta ran through the street to minister to an infant, the camera lingering on him as he cradled her in his arms and examined her head for lacerations.
Repetition has its place in a frightening emergency; images shown over and over — be it 9/11, the 2004 tsunami or Hurricane Katrina — magnify an event but can also inure the viewer. A joyous reunion of mother and child helps defuse the bracketing tragedy. But too much repetition can backfire when it looks like promotional material. The line between compassion and self-congratulation is thin on television; in a calamity this vast and acute, many viewers flinch at any sign of reportorial showboating."
The situation in Haiti is more horrific than any of us could imagine. It is estimated that 45,000 to 50,000 people are dead. Some have been buried in mass graves, many are decaying in the streets, and many more are rotting in the ruins that was once Port-au-Prince. It's estimated that 3 million people are in need of aid; food, water, medicine, shelter. The lone airport is congested and overwhelmed. Gunmen and rioters are now taking to the streets.
In the face of such utter disaster and limited resources, I'm angry that droves of news reporters (and their entourage) are clogging the airport and the streets. Even Al Roker went to Haiti! Medical teams, search teams, security teams, and vital supplies can't get in because of congestion, but NBC and their ilk are crawling all over the blood-soaked corpses like blowflies with microphones.
When, like Dr. Gupta, they have the nerve to pat themselves on the back for actually HELPING someone, my disgust is complete.
Maybe if Dr. Gupta stopped patting himself on the back, he would have more time to help more people. This is distressing.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find more distressing is that little seems to be don to provide more security so that more aid can be provided. Granted, it is a chicken and the egg question -- it is hard to get anything and anybody into the area, and putting security forces in would increase the burden on the resources, but is that worse than letting thousands of people die because of security concerns?
If only adults were running the show.
"If only adults were running the show."
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that. I haven't seen any lately.
We could put self sufficient boots on the ground in Haiti. But do you think the world would allow that? Do you think the American people would allow that? I think no, they wouldn't.
To the original point. I could not believe my eyes last night as I walked by the TV and saw Katy Couric was in Haiti. What For???????
Jackals, that's what for.
RadioMattM, I understand that the airport, ports, and roads are in shambles, but I don't understand why we can't utilize more military helicopters to get help where it needs to be. Also, couldn't we airdrop water, food, simple medical supples, and tents? Maybe we are doing all of those things, and it's not being reported by the news outlets.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are very distressed at the response time. We thought Katrina was a fluke of bad management, but it appears that we still haven't got the command structure in place to respond quickly and efficiently to disasters of this magnitude.
Maybe the simple answer is: we can't. Perhaps we don't have the resources for such a massive undertaking. I know our military and civilian rescue workers are doing everything they can, and yet it's not nearly enough. Are we asking too much? Are some rescue operations beyond the scope of our best abilities?
A sobering thought.
"Maybe the simple answer is: we can't."
ReplyDeleteI think that is true to a degree. But feel that the largest factor is time, not resources. It takes time to put in place the logistics for such a large undertaking.
If no-one else has, I just invited RWC
ReplyDelete"Are some rescue operations beyond the scope of our best abilities?"
ReplyDeleteYes. But that does not mean we should not (or will not) try.
I'm glad you invited him, Sid. I sent an email to RIP Ford (although I think he may be traveling).
ReplyDelete