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Horror as Madrid death toll climbs to over 200
MEDICINE AND HEALTH POLICY
Horror as Madrid death toll climbs to over 200 Doce de Octubre hospitals received more victims than any other. After gathering at a makeshift morgue to identify the dead, weeping relatives scoured hospital lists for the injured. 181 people died instantly at the time of the explosions. But by March 15, 20 further deaths had occurred in hospitals and 20 more patients remained in a critical condition. More than 90 surgical procedures were done on those who were injured. Hospitals appealed for people to donate blood. And the overwhelming response received—including outpatients who were being treated for other reasons— meant that the target amount was reached by 11 am, just 3 hours after the attacks. Manuel Moya, president of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), said that 1500 people with mild-to-severe injuries were treated in just 4 h. “Madrid’s emergency service had a very rapid and quality response”, he said, adding that patients who had
Rights were not granted to include this image in electronic media. Please refer to the printed journal.
AP
undreds of Spanish citizens rushed to attend to the victims of the deadliest terrorist attack in Europe on March 11. Hospital resources were at breaking point all day as every available person helped care for the continual flow of injured people. The attack came 3 days before Spain’s general election. 10 bombs hidden in rucksacks exploded without warning on four packed commuter trains. The bombs were detonated at the height of the morning rush hour, killing 201 people and injuring almost 1500. At the main Atocha commuter station, in the heart of Madrid, an explosion cut a train in two. Victims—mostly ordinary working people—crawled from mangled train carriages and staggered into the streets. Others were found burned to death in their seats. At each station, emergency services set up temporary hospitals. More serious casualties were ferried to other cities by helicopter. Gregorio Marañón and
H
Demands for donor blood were met within 3 hours of the appeal
already recovered from other diseases were discharged sooner than normal to allow hospitals to accommodate as many injured as possible. A psychological evaluation unit was also set up immediately, enabling up of 140 psychologists and psychiatrists to attend to relatives of dead or injured people.
On March 12, millions of people marched on the streets in a nationwide protest against terrorism. During the demonstration, in which 2·5 million people marched in the heavy rain, a child carried a placard reading “The sky also cries in Madrid today”. Xavier Bosch
Canadians finally fill regulatory void with stem-cell bill fter more than a decade of fractious debate and parliamentary false starts, Canada has finally filled a regulatory void by enacting wide-ranging human reproductive technologies legislation that prohibits human cloning and regulates stem-cell research. The legislation, which passed the final hurdle of Senate approval on March 11, also outlaws paying donors for sperm or eggs; creating animal– human hybrids; or the sex selection of embryos. An Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada will be set up to monitor the field. Sponsoring Senator Yves Morin called it an “historic” occasion, while fellow Senator Jim Munson dismissed notions that it will unleash unbridled horrors in which “mad” scientists indulge in “unethical genetic experiments”. Critics say the bill will lead to a shortage of egg and sperm donors,
A
making it more difficult for infertile couples to have a child. Women selling eggs now typically receive around CAN$3000 (US$2250). The government initially vowed to introduce reproductive technologies legislation in response to the findings of a 4-year Royal Commission headed by University of British Columbia geneticist Patricia Baird. It bought time by first seeking a voluntary moratorium on the use of all such technologies and finally introduced a form of the legislation in 1996, which died on the order paper. A revised version was reintroduced in May, 2002, but again became embroiled in parliamentary wranglings, before being passed by the House of Commons in October, 2003. A lastditch bid in the Senate to amend the bill to prohibit embryonic stem-cell research failed when health minister Pierre Pettigrew pleaded for passage, telling
Senators, “The time has come to be bold and take action in this area.” Baird noted she had almost given up hope of the regulatory void ever being filled, telling reporters, “If I’d been holding my breath, I’d be extremely blue.” The legislation frees up the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to finally provide funding for several stem-cell research projects, which have been in abeyance since 2002 when parliamentarians accused the agency of usurping their authority by proposing to proceed with such research because of the protracted delay in the legislation’s enactment. The bill allows research on stem cells derived from in-vitro embryos, but not those from miscarriages or elective abortions. Scientists using such material will have to obtain licences and approval from a new regulatory agency. Wayne Kondro
THE LANCET • Vol 363 • March 20, 2004 • www.thelancet.com
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet.
955
Horror as Madrid death toll climbs to over 200 Doce de Octubre hospitals received more victims than any other. After gathering at a makeshift morgue to identify the dead, weeping relatives scoured hospital lists for the injured. 181 people died instantly at the time of the explosions. But by March 15, 20 further deaths had occurred in hospitals and 20 more patients remained in a critical condition. More than 90 surgical procedures were done on those who were injured. Hospitals appealed for people to donate blood. And the overwhelming response received—including outpatients who were being treated for other reasons— meant that the target amount was reached by 11 am, just 3 hours after the attacks. Manuel Moya, president of the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES), said that 1500 people with mild-to-severe injuries were treated in just 4 h. “Madrid’s emergency service had a very rapid and quality response”, he said, adding that patients who had
Rights were not granted to include this image in electronic media. Please refer to the printed journal.
AP
undreds of Spanish citizens rushed to attend to the victims of the deadliest terrorist attack in Europe on March 11. Hospital resources were at breaking point all day as every available person helped care for the continual flow of injured people. The attack came 3 days before Spain’s general election. 10 bombs hidden in rucksacks exploded without warning on four packed commuter trains. The bombs were detonated at the height of the morning rush hour, killing 201 people and injuring almost 1500. At the main Atocha commuter station, in the heart of Madrid, an explosion cut a train in two. Victims—mostly ordinary working people—crawled from mangled train carriages and staggered into the streets. Others were found burned to death in their seats. At each station, emergency services set up temporary hospitals. More serious casualties were ferried to other cities by helicopter. Gregorio Marañón and
H
Demands for donor blood were met within 3 hours of the appeal
already recovered from other diseases were discharged sooner than normal to allow hospitals to accommodate as many injured as possible. A psychological evaluation unit was also set up immediately, enabling up of 140 psychologists and psychiatrists to attend to relatives of dead or injured people.
On March 12, millions of people marched on the streets in a nationwide protest against terrorism. During the demonstration, in which 2·5 million people marched in the heavy rain, a child carried a placard reading “The sky also cries in Madrid today”. Xavier Bosch
Canadians finally fill regulatory void with stem-cell bill fter more than a decade of fractious debate and parliamentary false starts, Canada has finally filled a regulatory void by enacting wide-ranging human reproductive technologies legislation that prohibits human cloning and regulates stem-cell research. The legislation, which passed the final hurdle of Senate approval on March 11, also outlaws paying donors for sperm or eggs; creating animal– human hybrids; or the sex selection of embryos. An Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada will be set up to monitor the field. Sponsoring Senator Yves Morin called it an “historic” occasion, while fellow Senator Jim Munson dismissed notions that it will unleash unbridled horrors in which “mad” scientists indulge in “unethical genetic experiments”. Critics say the bill will lead to a shortage of egg and sperm donors,
A
making it more difficult for infertile couples to have a child. Women selling eggs now typically receive around CAN$3000 (US$2250). The government initially vowed to introduce reproductive technologies legislation in response to the findings of a 4-year Royal Commission headed by University of British Columbia geneticist Patricia Baird. It bought time by first seeking a voluntary moratorium on the use of all such technologies and finally introduced a form of the legislation in 1996, which died on the order paper. A revised version was reintroduced in May, 2002, but again became embroiled in parliamentary wranglings, before being passed by the House of Commons in October, 2003. A lastditch bid in the Senate to amend the bill to prohibit embryonic stem-cell research failed when health minister Pierre Pettigrew pleaded for passage, telling
Senators, “The time has come to be bold and take action in this area.” Baird noted she had almost given up hope of the regulatory void ever being filled, telling reporters, “If I’d been holding my breath, I’d be extremely blue.” The legislation frees up the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to finally provide funding for several stem-cell research projects, which have been in abeyance since 2002 when parliamentarians accused the agency of usurping their authority by proposing to proceed with such research because of the protracted delay in the legislation’s enactment. The bill allows research on stem cells derived from in-vitro embryos, but not those from miscarriages or elective abortions. Scientists using such material will have to obtain licences and approval from a new regulatory agency. Wayne Kondro
THE LANCET • Vol 363 • March 20, 2004 • www.thelancet.com
For personal use. Only reproduce with permission from The Lancet.
955