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American Morning

Tending to the Wounded

Aired April 08, 2003 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back in Baghdad, eastern part of the city, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has made his way to the Iraqi capital, and by way of videophone, here is Sanjay now.
What's happening there? Good afternoon.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill, you know, it has been nonstop activity now for at least a couple of weeks. Helos flying over, a tent above our head, sand on the ground, this is the operating room that the devil docs use to perform operations. An operation just finished here a few minutes ago. I was just told that they bring another patient to this table. Just behind me, a Marine who was injured, the helicopters continue to bring patients in constantly.

Listen, Bill, a couple things sort of new, a couple of things that have evolved. One is that the types of patients that we've been talking so much about, we've noticed a couple of changes in the Iraqis specifically. One, the patients overall seem better nourished. Two, some of the patients that we have seen operated on here had significant amounts of money on their person, that was actually handled by investigative officers, but we saw that money on their person as well. That's a bit different than Iraqis we saw earlier, not as well nourished, no money on their person. There are changes in who the patients actually are.

Also, Bill, the caliber of injures, very significant injuries now, not just some of the orthopedic-type injuries, but now significant gunshot wound to belly, to the chest, to the head. They're seeing a lot of stuff, they're operating on a lot of that stuff, and its' still continuing to come in pretty continuously.

And finally, Bill, you and I have been talking so much about the fact that the operating rooms are located all over the country. What's happening now from a strategic standpoint is that they have all sort of piggybacked now, and have ended up very strategically located close to Baghdad to handle whatever comes out of Baghdad.

Significant medical buildup here. Over the next several days, a 500-bed hospital will be placed in this area as well. That's in part going to take care of patients from the conflict that we're hearing so much about, but also in part for the humanitarian mission that will no doubt ensue after all of this. That's what we're seeing, Bill. It continues to be busy. Hospitals are that way. It is no different here in the desert -- Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Sanjay, are you able to give us a break down between the U.S. military treated there, the Iraqi military and civilians?

GUPTA: That's right, Bill, certainly been more Iraqi than coalition force members. It's been that way from the beginning, and I'd say, if anything, the percentages continue to even increase. Initially maybe 65/35, that is Iraqis to coalition force members. Now it may be 80 percent to 20 percent. It may even be higher. Each surgical unit has their own breakdown, but that's probably about right for the overall breakdown of patients.

Now as far as civilian Iraqis versus soldiers, that is a little bit harder to tell. As you know, sometimes the soldiers are not wearing uniforms, sometimes they are dressed as civilians; they are treated as what the Marines and the Navy doctors here call enemy prisoners of war, EPWs, they're treated that way until proven otherwise, but treated that way means they get same treatment, the same medical care as any of the coalition force members -- Bill.

HEMMER: Got it. You be good out there, and be safe, Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with devil docs. That's a group of Navy Corpsman who travel with the Marines, and they have traveled now, obviously, all the way to Baghdad.

Sanjay, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 8, 2003 - 09:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back in Baghdad, eastern part of the city, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has made his way to the Iraqi capital, and by way of videophone, here is Sanjay now.
What's happening there? Good afternoon.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill, you know, it has been nonstop activity now for at least a couple of weeks. Helos flying over, a tent above our head, sand on the ground, this is the operating room that the devil docs use to perform operations. An operation just finished here a few minutes ago. I was just told that they bring another patient to this table. Just behind me, a Marine who was injured, the helicopters continue to bring patients in constantly.

Listen, Bill, a couple things sort of new, a couple of things that have evolved. One is that the types of patients that we've been talking so much about, we've noticed a couple of changes in the Iraqis specifically. One, the patients overall seem better nourished. Two, some of the patients that we have seen operated on here had significant amounts of money on their person, that was actually handled by investigative officers, but we saw that money on their person as well. That's a bit different than Iraqis we saw earlier, not as well nourished, no money on their person. There are changes in who the patients actually are.

Also, Bill, the caliber of injures, very significant injuries now, not just some of the orthopedic-type injuries, but now significant gunshot wound to belly, to the chest, to the head. They're seeing a lot of stuff, they're operating on a lot of that stuff, and its' still continuing to come in pretty continuously.

And finally, Bill, you and I have been talking so much about the fact that the operating rooms are located all over the country. What's happening now from a strategic standpoint is that they have all sort of piggybacked now, and have ended up very strategically located close to Baghdad to handle whatever comes out of Baghdad.

Significant medical buildup here. Over the next several days, a 500-bed hospital will be placed in this area as well. That's in part going to take care of patients from the conflict that we're hearing so much about, but also in part for the humanitarian mission that will no doubt ensue after all of this. That's what we're seeing, Bill. It continues to be busy. Hospitals are that way. It is no different here in the desert -- Bill.

HEMMER: Hey, Sanjay, are you able to give us a break down between the U.S. military treated there, the Iraqi military and civilians?

GUPTA: That's right, Bill, certainly been more Iraqi than coalition force members. It's been that way from the beginning, and I'd say, if anything, the percentages continue to even increase. Initially maybe 65/35, that is Iraqis to coalition force members. Now it may be 80 percent to 20 percent. It may even be higher. Each surgical unit has their own breakdown, but that's probably about right for the overall breakdown of patients.

Now as far as civilian Iraqis versus soldiers, that is a little bit harder to tell. As you know, sometimes the soldiers are not wearing uniforms, sometimes they are dressed as civilians; they are treated as what the Marines and the Navy doctors here call enemy prisoners of war, EPWs, they're treated that way until proven otherwise, but treated that way means they get same treatment, the same medical care as any of the coalition force members -- Bill.

HEMMER: Got it. You be good out there, and be safe, Dr. Sanjay Gupta embedded with devil docs. That's a group of Navy Corpsman who travel with the Marines, and they have traveled now, obviously, all the way to Baghdad.

Sanjay, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com