Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink tells the tragic story of the staff, patients, and people who took refuge from Hurricane Katrina in Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. The nonfiction novel (based on an article published in the New York Times) and the miniseries shown on Apple TV+ explore themes of natural disasters, emergency preparedness, ethics, and the legal standards hospital staff are held to during emergencies. In this review, I will focus on the miniseries, which premiered in 2022 and was directed by Carlton Cuse and John Ridley.
*It should be noted that although the miniseries dramatizes the events at Memorial Hospital, it is based on actual events, and the major plot points are accurate.
On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. This was one of the most devastating hurricanes ever. Five Days at Memorial focuses on Memorial Hospital, a hospital that suffered massive devastation from the hurricane. The first half of the series primarily focuses on what went on inside the hospital during and after the hurricane. On the other hand, the latter half of the series focuses on the legal issues surrounding those five days at the hospital.
The depiction of the hospital during the disaster is harrowing. As each day goes on, the loss increases. First, the hospital lost all but essential power (only machines that patients depended on to live stayed on.) This posed several issues, one of the worst being the lack of air conditioning. After that, every essential thing needed for life was depleted by the second. Food, water, medication, etc., began to run out. While watching, the visuals, acting, and soundtrack instill real fear and anxiety in the viewer. I can attest to this. As I watched, I felt genuine fear and panic through the screen. On top of these issues, staff also had to beg for help from all levels of government. It took days for helicopters and rescue boats to arrive, and even then, there were not enough to accommodate all patients, staff, those who took shelter from the storm, and pets. This lack of assistance led to the legal issues in the aftermath of the hurricane. Essentially, Dr. Anna Pou and two other nurses were arrested on account of second-degree murder. These allegations came from the fact that, after 45 dead bodies were found in the hospital after the storm, investigative officials determined that some of the people were murdered. In 23 of the victims, there were lethal amounts of drugs found. Pou claimed that she was providing the patients comfort instead of leaving them to die since they could not be saved. Others, like the patient’s family, think Pou had no right to decide whether they should live or die and that she could have at least attempted to save them. After almost two years had passed, a grand jury decided that Pou and the other nurses would not be indicted.
To describe the miniseries’ overall impact, I would say it’s extremely informative and impactful. The viewer is met with the question: Was what Pou did ethical or unethical? Should she have been charged, or did the jury come to the right decision? I still do not know my standing on the issue.
