Baton Rouge General Hospital ER Closure Rally
by
Stephanie Anthony
Baton
Rouge legislators and citizens gathered on the steps of the capitol regarding
the proposed closure of the Baton Rouge General Mid-city Hospital Emergency Room. Almost before the diverse crowd could finish
the Amen for Pastor Ralph Moore’s invocation Senator Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb was
at the mike laying out the problem with
closing the only emergency facility for people in the heart of the city
pointing out if you work downtown, live or work for Exxon or business in the chemical corridor you are
in a “Jindel Death Zone”. The District
14 democrat called the plan to shut down the last critical care facility in
central Baton Rouge “bad government”.
“We know that if Mr. Jindal gets sick he has a helicopter at his
disposal”, she pointed out.
Republican Governor Bobby Jindal has refused Medicare Expansion causing
millions to be without insurance coverage.
One colleague of then legislator Bobby Jindal reminded those present at
the rally that he had helped push LaChip through in 1998. It is a Medicaid
expansion program for children.
Newlywed Representative Edward Ted James was on
hand for what he considers and emergency situation. The lawyer and McKinley High School grad
wishes Earl K. Long had not been shut down before he was elected to
office. The District 101 representative
says he wants to work to help fix this problem.
Father Richard R. Andrus pastor of Saint Paul
Catholic Church came to the mike to declare “The gospel demands justice”, “He
went on to point out in no uncertain terms that in the case of heart attack or
a stroke every moment counts. His voice
thundered in the crowd, “Our Lives Matter”!
A long time Baton Rouge native recounted when
she was taken to Baton Rouge General Emergency room in the 1950s stricken with
polo. How her disabled son was rescued
in the emergency room with an overdose and how most recently her mother had an
accident and was treated at B.R. General ER.
Sharon Weston Broome served as moderator of the
rally and although the Baton Rouge delegation has not thus far been included in
the conversations for solutions they have individual suggestions including
having major corporations like Exxon donate annually to “the general”. Another suggestion was to readjust the state contribution to the B.R. General
emergency room to be on par with its contribution to Our Lady of the Lake. A stop gap suggestion was to extend the
shutdown date beyond 60 days. Several
participants want to have all urgent care clinics to operate 24 hours a day
until the crises is over. Most agreed
the best long term solution was to have the governor accept the federal “Obama Care” expansion.
