A group of doctors and medical experts are asking death penalty states to give up their lethal injection drugs to hospitals fighting to save the lives of those infected with coronavirus.
The request came in an open letter to those states. Keri Blakinger, a reporter for The Marshall Project, disclosed the letter in a Thursday tweet. It was detailed in a story by Business Insider.
The letter reportedly has the support of nearly a dozen medical professionals, including Dr. David Waisel of the Harvard Medical School.
“As pharmacists, public health experts, and front-line ICU doctors serving patients at the bedside, we write to inform you that many of the medicines your states are currently holding for use in lethal injections executions are in short supply and desperately needed to treat patients suffering from COVID-19,” the letter said. “We respectfully request that you release these medicines to healthcare facilities in our states so they may be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
“Many of the medicines needed during this critical time are the same drugs used in lethal injection executions. Sedatives and paralytics are already in dangerously short supply across our nation and will become scarcer as this virus continues to sweep through our hospital.”
The letter noted some of the drugs are needed in ICUs for “intubation and mechanical ventilation.”
Business Insider, citing data from the Death Penalty Information Center, said 30 states use lethal injection as the primary method of execution.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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