I went today to help with the relief over at the old Levi Strauss building on the Southside. I guess there are about 1,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees there in an enormous room. The spirits seemed to be shell-shocked but grateful. I didn't find any disgruntled or angry people (except perhaps fellow medical personnel frustrated with the lack of an organizational system). The feeding, housing, and clothing seems to have gotten along well - HEB-donated food was plentiful in the chow hall, they had a kids play room with coloring books & toys, and everyone seemed to have a cot. The showers (in tents outside the building for the men) kept busy, though you wouldn't know it from the always-present but not overpowering body odor smell in the main hall.

Medical triage and treatment was where I helped. There were about 5 or 6 of us doctors by the end, and maybe 3 times that many nurses. Refugees were already there since last night, so there wasn't a mass triage; it was simply up to the patients to seek care. I saw probably 30 people in 5 hours; we cleaned some wounds, drained some infections, reassured others. We were well-staffed, I think. Some of the kind and dedicated volunteers I met were striking.

The biggest pressing need was pharmaceuticals. We had no insulin, no tetanus shots, nothing but tylenol, really. I saw one poor heroin addict in the throes of withdrawal, twitching, suffering from diarrhea, aching all over. It'll be hellish for him, but not life-threatening. We would see, treat, and prescribe medications, but these people had no place to get the Rx filled. Walgreen's, HEB, CVS, Wal-Mart are all ready and willing to take vouchers from the American Red Cross for medications, but there was no system set up for calling/faxing in, delivery, or anything. I processed and signed piles of refill prescriptions, and had to try to reassure people that "hopefully the meds will get delivered tonight or tomorrow". I don't know if they will.