Triage Decisions News Today

hello again, everyone. thanks for joining me. im fredricka whitfield. just over two weeks until the midterm election decides who controls congress. voters are turning out in big numbers across the country to cast their ballots early. so far nearly 6 million people have already voted in the midterm elections. and in georgia, more than 660,000 voters have already cast their ballots. that number is not far off the early voter turnout for the 2020 presidential election and more than a quar...

would be a global outbreak. tiitj�*h there was a 50—50 chance of would be a global outbreak.- there was a 50—50 chance of being would be a global outbreak- there was a 50—50 chance of being a global outbreak and not 100% chance. im not exactly sure of when he first said it to me, but this is also why i wanted cobra to wake up whitehall to this threat. you also why i wanted cobra to wake up whitehall to this threat.— whitehall to this threat. you must have appreciated, _ white...

People in quite dramatic language online to avoid taking this for covid-19. >> yeah. daniel, thank you so much as always. >> thank you. well, with infections from covid-19 surging across the country, and i.c.u. beds in dangerous low supply, health care workers are thrust in the unenviable position of who gets a bed and who does not. in an op-ed for the "washington post," one writer addresses that problem by asking, do the unvaccinated deserve scarce i.c.u. beds? joining us now the author of th...

Can -- this is a reasonable question to ask. i wonder how you defend that point. >> sure, this was raised by a group of doctors in texas, one of the states that is seeing very heavy use of their i.c.u. beds, about the role of the vaccination should play. it shouldnt be ever the only factor, but it should be one factor because we know that if youre unvaccinated, the chance of severe infection and death is higher, that that is one of the ingredients in making triage decisions. but even when they p...

Dewenter is here to lay those doubts to rest. there simply were not enough doctors, not enough atonightments to handle new patients, backlogged patients and, yes, very sick patients. dewenter, a scheduling clerk, was making life and death decisions. >> and that really overtook even the wait list because now i have a consult where veterans are very sick so i have to ease up on the -- on the wait list, and it sounds so wrong to say, but -- and work these schedule appointments so at least i felt th...

It just sounds so wrong to say -- i worked these scheduled appointments so i at least, i felt the sickest of the sick were being treated. >> and youre making basically the triage decisions? >> yes. so youre bumping one veteran for the other based on who is the sickest? >> yeah. >> reporter: the stress she says was unbearable. then came the call she had to make in early december. she finally had found an appointment available for a navy veteran who had come to the va months earlier, urinating blo...

To say, but and work these scheduled appointments so at least i felt the sickest of the sick were being treated. >> and youre making basically those triage decisions? >> yes. >> so youre bumping one veteran for the other based on whos the sickest? >> yeah. yeah. >> the stress she says was unbearable. then cape the call she had to make in early december. she finally had found an appointment available for a navy veteran who had come to the va months earlier urinating blood. >> so i called the fami...

Say. and work these schedule appointments so at least i felt the sickest of the sick were being treated. >> and youre making basically those triage decisions? >> yes. >> wolf, we asked the veterans administration directly to respond to the allegations made in this report. they only gave us a generic statement, saying they are working hard to reduce the wait list and try to fix the systemic problems at the va. but apparently this investigation could get very nasty out in phoenix as a cover-up may...

Yes. >> reporter: thats terrible. >> it is beyond horrible. >> reporter: there simply were not enough doctors, not enough appointments to handle new patients. backlogged patients and yes, very sick patients. dewinter, a scheduling clerk, was making life-and-death decisions. >> and that really overtook even the wait list nourgsw i have a consult where veterans are very sick. so i have to ease of on the wait list. it just sound so wrong to say -- i worked these scheduled appointments so i at least...

Very sick. so i have to ease up on the wait list which is so wrong to say, and work these scheduled appointments so at least i felt the sickest of the sick were being treated. >> and youre making basically those triage decisions. >> yes. >> drew griffin, the reporter who originally broke the news of this va scandal, joins me live now from the cnn center in atlanta. story after story, drew, i cant believe what im hearing from you. now this. after you actually broke the story. i just dont know how...