Puerto Rico could become a public health catastrophe

October 02, 2017 12:00 PM
In the days since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, conditions on the island continue to deteriorate and become a humanitarian and public health catastrophe that could rival the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

The fact that the power grid failed creates many obvious problems and some that are not so evident. When the sewer system stops working, wastewater—aka human feces and urine—and seaborne bacteria contaminate the water supply.

This leads to bacterial infections — such as cholera, dysentery, E. coli and typhoid — that can be disastrous. The typical treatments, like tetanus shots or powerful antibiotics, are not readily available on the island, where medical supplies are quickly running out.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), 58 of Puerto Rico’s 69 hospitals are without power or fuel for their generators.

No fuel also means that people cannot readily boil water for drinking or bathing. Danger is imminent with nearly 1.5 million people having no access to clean drinking water, according to U.S. military sources.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article176320111.html#storylink=cpy

It is genocide. This president has turned his back on Puerto Rico, they are brown after all and not even American...Oh wait, what?! Well in his mind, it is true.