Betraying an American Tradition: The Killing of Charity Hospital
Since 1736, Charity Hospital embodied the human right to health care values by serving the sick and poor of New Orleans – often acting as the last resort when all other aspects of the health care system failed them. After Hurricane Katrina, despite its foundation remaining intact and its doctors and nurses ready to return, the New Orleans’ administrators are pushing to turn “Big Charity” into a training institution that would destroy “what the hurricane could not – a commitment to the human right to health care in New Orleans.” The closing of “Big Charity” is not only a moral and public health concern, but also an international human rights issue. This brief discusses hurricane Katrina’s impact on access to health care, the rights of post-storm survivors, and recommendations to ensure that New Orleans fulfills its obligation of treating health care as a basic human right.
