The Green Party of Louisiana Endorsed the following Resolution at the State convention on Sept. 8 2007

As survivors of Hurricane Katrina we are soliciting your support on this resolution to have health care services restored at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. In particular, we are concerned about the mental health services at the Rev. Avery C. Alexander Campus. Everyone should be fully aware of the mental and physical distress that the people of New Orleans have been under and continue to endure. Many who had no mental or physical issues prior to the hurricane are becoming ill and have no where to go due to the closure of this public hospital.

Those that become mentally unstable may end up in jail, killed or driven out of the parish and left by the roadside. With your support and our determination we can move those responsible officials to correct this grave injustice and provide the much needed health services. Be it understood, we hold the responsible elected Federal, State and Local Government officials to carry out their mandated responsibility to protect and serve the people of New Orleans.

Whereas; We the People of the United States of America we are demanding that our health and welfare be respected and protected from preventable injury and death.

Whereas; The city of New Orleans needs the services of a full service public health provider so that the needs of all the people, both uninsured and under insured, be made available to all; as it was prior to Hurricane Katrina.

Whereas; There is evidence that Charity Hospital, the Rev. Avery C. Alexander campus, the site of mental health services was prevented from re-opening by the LSU Health Care Services Division which ordered clean up crews out of the building and closed and locked the hospital, and has failed to make alternative provisions.

Whereas; Upon the formal request of the New Orleans City Council, a Louisiana State Attorney General's opinion regarding the law applicable to the closure of a hospital by the LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, otherwise known as Act 906, 2003 Regular Louisiana State Legislative session was sought. Pursuant to La. R.S. 17:1519.2B(1), the LSU Health Sciences Center is responsible for certain hospitals, including all programs and facilities thereof, including the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans, which means Charity Hospital and University Hospital.

Whereas; in answering the formal request of the New Orleans City Council, Louisiana State Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. restated that the law provides with respect to hospitals operated by the LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans: No hospital nor any emergency room may be closed without legislative approval. Such approval may be granted by the legislature either by concurrent resolution or by appropriate action in the General Appropriation Act. Replying to this, Attorney General Foti wrote: "In the event LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans was to close Charity Hospital, it must do so in compliance with R.S. 17:1519.3B."

Whereas; we who are interested in reopening the Rev. Avery C. Alexander Charity Hospital to ease the capacity crunch faced by local hospitals in the wake of Hurricane Katrina know that the Louisiana State Legislature has not given permission to LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans or its respective Health Care Services Division to close Big Charity Hospital.

Therefore be it resolved that we support the efforts of the people of New Orleans to regain open and free access to health care through Charity Hospital New Orleans, Rev. Avery C. Alexander Campus until a suitable replacement for all the services provided there before Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 is found and / or constructed.