Crates of syringes, urine cups, medication and IV tubes surround clusters of wall-to-wall hospital beds in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Hundreds of military police are scattered at building entrances. Buses and helicopters continue to rush patients in and out of the building as teams of doctors and nurses from across the country frantically try to save lives.
The aftermath of what some have called the most catastrophic natural disaster has come to campus.
“This is 9/11 in slow motion,” said Chancellor Sean O’Keefe of the worsening state of emergency during the week following the category four storm.
The PMAC is the largest acute care emergency facility in the state. An acute care facility is equipped to provide medical and surgical care for seriously ill or injured people.
Treating about 5,000 patients in the past week, officials say the facility plays a crucial role saving the lives of evacuees hurt by Hurricane Katrina.
Next door, the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse also meets the needs of evacuees. While the PMAC is operating as a temporary hospital, the fieldhouse is a care facility also lined with beds and equipment.
Originally set up as a 41-bed special needs shelter, the Fieldhouse is now holding more than 400 patients and is equipped with a pharmacy, psychiatric ward and pediatric center.
“This is the largest facility of its kind,” said Student Government President Michelle Gieg. “This is one of the biggest things LSU has done in this hurricane effort.”
University officials said it is uncertain how long the facilities will contain patients because of the variety of different cases.
Both centers are treating medical needs, feeding the hungry and helping stranded and lost evacuees reunite with family, but not without complications.
With so many state and federal organizations at work, many question who is in charge.
Robert Alvey, temporary media coordinator for campus emergency facilities, said the effort is “absolutely a mishmash.”
Initial management of both facilities came from the State Department of Social Services, with the state Department of Health and Hospitals providing the necessary medical equipment and manpower.
Chancellor O’Keefe established an Operations Center on Sunday to become the single point of contact for organizing resources and communications.
Although the number of patients is constantly changing, the PMAC floor plan was modified six times during the past week to ensure a more organized emergency procedure.
“There’s a lot of people on call,” said Leslie Pecora, registered nurse and PMAC relief worker, on Sunday. “There’s a lot of EMS personnel working with officials to get the patients out. They’re stabilizing them and getting them to other shelters.”
Patients are assigned different colors depending on the severity of their conditions.
“Once a patient is stable, we try to place them in a shelter,” said Apryl Keaty, registered nurse with the New Mexico Disaster Assistance Team. There were two intensive care patients in the PMAC on Monday morning, along with 22 intermediate acute care patients.
Alvey confirmed that an unknown number of patients on campus have died. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is then responsible for the bodies. A refrigerated trailer was provided at the PMAC for such cases.
Disaster medical assistance teams have come from all over the nation.
Evacuees were sent to a wide variety of shelters, ranging from the Port Allen Community Center to the Houston Astrodome.
The immense student volunteer effort began Monday evening with about 20 volunteers — most of them from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
“We ask for the opportunity to show your love this evening, Father,” said Michelle Gros, volunteer and 2003 University graduate, as they gathered in a circle of prayer and held hands.
The number of student volunteers grew rapidly throughout the week.
Student volunteer Monique Ducote, human ecology junior, handed out food and water Thursday to evacuees outside the PMAC.
“We sat down all day [Wednesday] and watched [the news],” Ducote said. “We found out about this and signed up. We’re doing whatever we can — feeding people and keeping them occupied.”
As the need arose, health care professionals showed certain non-medical volunteers how to perform tasks such as cleaning patients, helping them use the restroom, taking their body temperatures and bathing smaller children.
Levi Wright, Jr., graduate student and non-medical volunteer, said volunteers have taken “initiative leadership.”
“I just had to get clean underwear for a guy with diarrhea,” Wright said. “In this particular situation, you just have to get into it.”
Evacuee Moyna Patterson, 65, of New Sarpy, La., arrived at the Fieldhouse the Sunday evening before the hurricane struck. She looked after her legally blind husband while trying to get in touch with her step-daughter.
“He cannot do anything by himself,” Patterson said. “My husband is the only thing I care about. Material things you can get back, but my husband’s life is more important.”
Trenice McBride, 32, hitchhiked Tuesday morning in the back of a truck with her three small children from the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans to Baton Rouge. She said they were certain their house was underwater.
McBride, sitting outside the PMAC with her children, said, “It’s been hell. It’s hot.”
Contact Chris Day at [email protected]