Photos of Puerto Rican physicians in Haiti cause global rejection
Global controversy over photos showing a group of Puerto Rican physicians who traveled to Haiti after the earthquake, in festive attitude, with bottles of whiskey, guns and even carrying a chainsaw in the middle of an operation.
The embarrassment was heightened by the fact that the doctors’ mission was coordinated by Puerto Rico’s Senate.
The commonwealth’s Medical Board called an emergency meeting of its ethics board for Friday afternoon and said it would immediately begin an investigation into whether the doctors involved should be disciplined.
Puerto Rico Secretary of Health Lorenzo Gonzalez called the episode “a sad situation.”
“The poor judgment of a few basically damages the beautiful effort that many others have put in place in terms of providing good medical care,” Gonzalez said. “When I saw the pictures, I was very concerned that they have taken pictures of people without any consent.”
Some of the photos, which were posted on the social networking site Facebook, show smiling doctors holding guns or toasting each other, bottles of scotch or other alcohol in their hands. Others show medical personnel in what appears to be a clinic, grinning as they attend to patients. Another shows a quake victim on a hospital bed, naked from the waist down except for a thin strip of cloth covering the genitals.
“You can’t ever take pictures of patients if you don’t have a written agreement and much less publish photos of patients half-nude,” Medical Board President Eduardo Ibarra told CNN. “This is a clear violation of the Hippocratic oath we take as medics. We’re going to take all the measures possible to correct this.”
Days after the January 12 quake tore through Haiti, the Puerto Rico Senate announced it would oversee sending more than 100 doctors to set up a field hospital near the town of Jimani, just across the southern Dominican border from Haiti. The town has been flooded with Haitians injured in the quake, seeking medical help unavailable at home.
Source: CNN
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As a followup for anyone interested, not only were the Puerto Rican doctors involved in this scandal NOT punished by the Puerto Rican medical board, but the president of the board said they should be PRAISED for all of their hard work. Commenter “N/A” got it right, the medical establishment in this country protects its own. If this were a group of doctors from the states you would still be hearing about it on CNN 3 months later.
The fact of the matter is that once a patient is under anesthesia a large number of doctor talk trash about the patient on the table, which is fine with me. Do whatever you need to “relax” yourself for the procedure. What i do find disturbing is that these people (who should have been swallowed at time of conception)took pictures. And to answer “whats wrong with you people” yes i do have some drinks when working or even visiting a foreign country, but i do it when ther is NOT a national crisis to the country, and i usually call it vacation.
The bottom line is these few doctor have made the Puerto Rican people look very bad.
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles
I live in Puerto Rico but I’m American of German descent. I actually attend medical school. I have been volunteering since the age of 15. I lived in Africa for almost a year and also worked in Thailand and Puerto Rico. I have never experienced inappropriate, distasteful, unethical, inhumane treatement of a relief effort such as this.
The fact is, the reason Puerto Ricans are here defending these other Puerto Ricans is because they don’t see it as wrong. That’s apparently the problem with Puerto Ricans. There are no other photos of physicians from different countries doing the same. Yes, certain situations demand stoic and solemn treatment of it. If they wanted to be Puerto Rican and just drink a lot, wait until you arrive safely back in PR before you crack open the champagne and forget the entire emotional affair that is supposed to change your life forever. I think it says a lot that no other physicians from other countries were implicated in this and that even the Dominican soldiers in the photo were ARRESTED! Nothing will happen to the Puerto Rican physicians. And by the way, taking photos of any patients and/or corpses is a violation of HIPAA laws, Hippocratic oath and US laws under breach of confidentiality and privacy. It is not mere inappropriate gestures, it is actually illegal. In the US, they would have their license suspended or revoked. But hey, it’s Puerto Rico, so nothing will happen. Only Puerto Ricans thinks this sort of behavior is acceptable. Laughing in the face of tragedy. I say save first and party later.
What is wrong with you guys. Just because they are doctors, that does not mean that they do not have time away from work. At least they are down there helping everybody. Yes I am Puerto Rican, and let me ask you when was the last time that you went to Puerto Rico? Not the tourist parts but the other part of Puerto Rico that tourists dont see. We have problems of our own. For those of your who gave five dollars to the guy with a jar in front of the bank, these doctors are doing thousands of times more what you are doing. They left the comfort of home to help people in Haiti devastated by the earthquakes. The so-called “chainsaw” is a medical saw as there are very few supplies in Haiti. Also, what they did not show were the pictures of the doctors performing surgery and taking care of patients. I leave you with this to think of……..when was the last time you went to Haiti to volunteer? What do you do to unwind after working long hours with no breaks in a foreign country? Let me guess you probably drink but are going to try and make it okay somehow….
What is wrong with puertoricans doctors???? They are not doctors, they are “guerrilleros”. Take out those stupids, nonprofessionals. Real Doctors don’t do that.
This is a tragedy behond forgiveness. how dare these docotors play with haiticians pain and suffering. How dare them take pictures boozing,,couldn’t they wait till they got back to puerto ric? sahem on them losers, treating patients while boozing! hope they make them pay for a year with no work! shitty docs..Puerto Rico is a lovely country and they have shamed our people,a big spit for them!
I think it is very unfortunate that the volunteer, humanitarian effort by Puerto Rican doctors has turned into a media feeding frenzy.
It is unfortunate that photos appeared on a social networking web site.
Nevertheless, I am sure that they worked their ass off for the victims. Unlike 99% of their critics, they actually gave SOMETHING, and in most cases, a lot of time and effort.
So, do not let some photos taken out of context besmirch the sincere effort of many.
And thank you, Puerto Rico. I KNOW that, as a county, you tried. I am proud of PR (as an American). And sorry that it worked out as a public relations nightmare.
What´s wrong with Puerto Rican Doctor? There´s a picture of the doctors with an orthopedic saw in the OR… That´s illegal!! They are drinking in a disaster area… it´s insane! That country suffered a lot to bear this kind of behavior by the saviors…
I highly recommend to take strict measures with these so called “Doctors”….
Im pretty sure that this inappropriate behavior it´s not seen between the rest of the Puerto Rican doctor…
I myself am Puerto Rican and let me tell you all something… we do NOT think we’re superior to anyone. We have problems of our own and you will find we are a very humple people. The photos of the doctors taken with beer and guns in hand w/ the DOMINICAN military guys (guys in green uniform), were taken in DOMINICAN REPUBLIC… NOT IN HAITI. Or can’t you tell the different between the flag of one country and the other? It’s clear that the flag on one of the green military uniforms is the Dominican Rep. flag. Look it up. ALthough I admit that these doctors could’ve avoided posing in their work, medical uniforms on what’s supposed to be an emergency relief trip to Haiti, I know they were not taken to ridicule ANYBODY; although they are smiling big, they are not laughing at anybody. I admit some of these pictures could’ve been avoided and these doctors were clearly ignorant but they ARE NOT laughing at anybody or at Haiti’s tragedy. They are proud to be doing what they’re doing, to be helping out these people who are in need of the world right now, these PUERTO RICAN doctors went to Haiti VOLUNTARILY! They are not being PAID for the hard labor they’re accomplishing in Haiti. The economical situation in PUERTO RICO is not the best right now, as it is in almost everywhere in the world, and some of these doctors chose to “close up shop” at home temporarily to work hard in Haiti, FOR FREE. So think before you speak and judge us as a whole. No doubt they will get in trouble for these pictures, but they did not act out of malice. Please do not compare this to other photos taken of certain other uniformed forces in certain prison in another part of world, not too long ago, in which prisoners were victims of extreme humuliation and ridicule, CONSCIENTIOUSLY! And for those who say and believe that us Puerto Ricans think, as we would say, “the last Coca Cola bottle in the desert” because we are a colony, read up on history first. You have no idea of the blood that was shed and the wounds caused throughout history to be who we are today as a people.
I am a Puertorrican doctor and am truly ashamed of all of you “Ashamed Puertorricans” who dont even know how to write english and are being judgemental on these doctors, who took time away from their lives, families and practices to voluntarily help others in a foreign country. IF you have even looked at the pictures you will see that they are relaxing, after hard work and in some of them are actually helping patients. Its people like you that judge others who have taken time out to help others, while comfortably seating in your living room; after if at most u sent a $10 bill; who truly should be ashamed.
It is people like you, who make others that would be willing to help; hesitate at the mere idea of being attacked by the simple minded.
What did YOU do to unwind after long hours of work the last time YOU volunteered to save lives in Haiti?
ay bendito! no me gusta el angulo de esas fotos. seguramente ni siquiera tenian entrenamiento formal en photography.
I thank you guys for this information. Since I was debating with a small group of puertoricans that thought there was nothing wrong with te pictures and that not violations where made. I am puertorican and I am truly ashamed of this group of doctor and persons that think this way. They deserve a suspencion of their medical license or even revocation. Thanks and good day…