A visit to the overpass

After class, this afternoon, I headed out to the interstate overpass with Tim Park, another medical student. We passed out Richard's healthcare flyers to as many people as we could find. It was hard, due to the cold weather. Many homeless were holed up in their tents in order to avoid the cold, but most of those who were out were grateful to receive the flyers.

At the end of our tour, I came across a severely hypothermic individual who looked like he had been badly beaten. His mates told me that he needed a doctor, and it was quite obvious that he did, so I told him to follow me to a nearby emergency room. When he didn't fight back, I knew it was bad. Usually the homeless refuse such grand gestures because they prefer to lay low and avoid too much attention. I brought him to the ER and waited for him to be seen by the triage nurse. After he was seen, I had to run off to classes, but I will keep checking in on him.

I bring this up because I think it is absurd that a man could be, so easily, left to die on the streets in the USA. You think that this is something that only happens in under-developed countries, but it's happening here, too. This man would NOT have made it through another night... and it didn't take a medical student to realize this... all of his friends knew it, too. When we were waiting in the ER together, he showed me a wristband from another hospital that he had been to, last week. When I looked at this man, I could not imagine any doctor or nurse letting this man back onto the street in such a state... yet... what do you do with someone like this? Not only do they need immediate treatment, they need long-term care and counseling. This guy may live through another night, but tomorrow... he's still going to have cuts and bruises all over his body, his fingers will still be close to rotting off, and he will still be stuck out in the cold with nothing but a tent and a beer to keep him warm. The homeless need a WHOLE NETWORK of healthcare and mental health services in order to be rehabilitated.... but no one wants to step up to the plate.

On another note, this week's GAMBIT (local free newspaper) has an article on the homeless living under the bridge. I suggest that everyone check it out.