As Dr. Sanjay Gupta explained in an interview with TVNewser yesterday, he may be a journalist, but he’s a doctor first. Last night, Gupta once again went into medical mode during the 10pm edition of AC360.
Gupta, reporting from a field hospital in Port-au-Prince, watched as the few doctors who were there evacuated amid security concerns. He and his crew stayed with the injured, some who’d just undergone surgery, all night.
Gupta monitored patients’ vital signs, administered painkillers and continued intravenous drips. He stabilized three patients who were in critical condition.
At 3:45 a.m., he posted a message on Twitter: pulling all nighter at haiti field hosp. lots of work, but all patients stable. turned my crew into a crack med team tonight.
Later he sent this message apologizing for not anchoring his 7:30amET weekend show, “Sanjay Gupta, M.D.:” So sorry to not anchor my show today. I was still busy at the field hospital.
And Dr. Gupta is not alone. This morning on “The Early Show”, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton,an OBGYN, gave a compelling description of the medical conditions and relief efforts in Haiti. She described it as “civil war medicine.” And just after landing in Haiti last night she assisted in an amputation on a card table under a tree. Video: