Army doctor: Medical response depends on situation at depot

An Army doctor says his job was to handle patients, not quibble about whether they worked for the government or whether they were employed by a private contractor.

Major Jose Ortiz testified in federal court that his job was to help the injured.

About three dozen construction workers say they were poisoned by sarin gas leaking from the aging chemical weapons stored at the Depot in Hermiston. They were hospitalized in September 1999.

The workers claim the Army was too slow in responding to the threat of a possible chemical weapons leak.

But the government claims that the military contractor, Raytheon, had responsibility to take care of workers at the construction site.

The judge in the non-jury trial says he wants to wrap up by Wednesday.