Louisiana and New Orleans Persecution Of Dr. Anna Pou
July 18, 2007 - Bayou Buzz(By: Jeff Crouere)
Yesterday, hundreds of local citizens gathered at City Park to show support for Dr. Anna Maria Pou, who was accused of killing four patients at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans in the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Pou was accused of these appalling crimes by Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti, who rushed before the cameras last year and claimed that Pou used a “lethal cocktail” to kill the elderly patients. Foti received international attention when he ordered the arrest of Pou and two Memorial Medical Center nurses.
Except for this case, most people are unfamiliar with what, if anything, the Attorney General has accomplished in office. In his term, Foti has been largely ineffective. He is known mostly for pursuing these ludicrous charges against Pou and the two nurses. Some critics have charged that Foti was seeking headlines and not justice and was looking for a way to help his re-election campaign when he arrested Pou, who makes the same charges in a lawsuit filed this week. Interestingly, right after making the charges against Pou and the nurses, Foti rushed to a fundraising dinner.
Foti is facing re-election this fall. Voters across Louisiana should express their displeasure with this lame performance by throwing him out of office. In contrast, Dr. Pou has a sterling reputation as a medical professional. Her father spent 50 years treating patients, and his daughter learned to put her patients first. Pou is an award winning doctor who did not deserve this controversy and the resulting damage to her reputation.
During Katrina, Pou and other doctors displayed tremendous courage by staying behind and placing their own safety at risk to take care of patients in need. When Katrina slammed into the City of New Orleans, Pou was treating patients in the hellish conditions of Memorial Medical Center, where temperatures were skyrocketing, water was rising and supplies were dwindling.
In return for her heroism, Pou was accused of murder by a publicity seeking Attorney General. She was arrested and still faces an uncertain future. Yesterday’s rally will hopefully spur action from the District Attorney’s office which has been sitting on the case for over a year. In that time, a grand jury has been convened and the charges against the two nurses have been dropped. Likewise, there should be no charges filed against Pou, who has been free on bond the past year. It is time to clear the name of this fine doctor and let her get back to doing what she does best, helping others.
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 8:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 5 till 9 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
