AN OPEN LETTER TO DOCTORS ABOUT PREPAREDNESS
June 25, 2012
8 Comments
This is a letter that any person concerned about disaster situations can present to their physician. It addresses issues associated with the possible inadequacy of emergency medical response in situations such as the aftermath of a major storm or other disasters. Feel free to print it and present it to your family physician if you think it would be beneficial to have them better understand preparedness issues.
To my fellow physicians:
I am a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American College of OB/GYN, recently retired, and I am writing this letter in an effort to inform you about the importance of improving the level of medical preparedness in your patient population.
We live in uncertain times, and more and more people are becoming concerned about what would happen in the event of a major disaster. From tornadoes to wildfires to national emergencies, there are circumstances where medical personnel may be overwhelmed by the number of victimsrequiring medical aid. In these situations, many of your patients will be unable to reach you and may find themselves as the sole medical resource available to sick or injured members of their families.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) were formed from many areas in the country and converged upon New Orleans. They were immediately overwhelmed by the number of victims requiring medical help. In such a scenario, it stands to reason that your patients would benefit from a concerted effort on your part to help them be prepared to deal with likely problems they would face.
In an era of high technology, we may have expectations that our resources will always be sufficient to meet our emergency needs. Recent history has proven otherwise, and it may be time for us, as physicians, to increase the amount of education we provide for our patients; in this way, they can function as assets to their family if you or emergency medical personnel are not available.
Few medical offices provide information regarding the types and quantities of medical supplies that are recommended for the average household. These are my suggestions: Consider your area’s likely needs for the disasters that might befall it, and print lists of items that you would advise your patients to have in their homes. As well, provide resources for classes that your patients can take so that they will have the medical education necessary to deal with basic health issues likely in these events. Direct them to sites recommended by the federal government for emergency preparedness, such as www.ready.gov; they will find free informational booklets that will help to increase their chances of surviving natural calamities and other disasters.
For your individual patients, especially those with chronic medical problems, you might consider providing the opportunity for them to keep a supply of needed medications by offering them an extra prescription to fill. In this manner, you can assure that your patients will have enough medicine to get them through situations which prevent them from contacting you in times of trouble. I’m not asking you to abandon your responsibility to them by throwing prescriptions at them; I am simply suggesting that they would benefit from having some extra supplies available to deal with unforeseen circumstances. Also, consider listing recommended over-the-counter medications that would be useful to have on hand.
Our purpose as physicians is to improve the health of our people while doing no harm. Many doctors dedicate their entire lives to this purpose, and we must work to preserve the well-being of our patients in bad times as well as good times. The worst nightmare of your patients is the inability to reach you in a major disaster; help them become better prepared to deal with medical emergencies with education, compassion, and understanding.
Thank you for all you do to keep your patients healthy, and for your time and attention in reading this letter.
Joseph Alton, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G.
Are you prepared to deal with medical emergencies in a disaster situation? With the Doom and Bloom(tm) Survival Medicine Handbook, you’ll get a head start on keeping your family healthy in times of trouble. Check it out at www.createspace.com/3697264
Here’s a link to the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb3vdQecUPM
Medical kits, suture/staple supplies, and more for the preparedness community. Go to the Doom and Bloom Shop to check out our entire line!. 
Click on our new CLASSES page for more info!
Thank you so much for the open letter. This will make it easier to talk to my doctor.
Hi Judith,
You’re very welcome…
Dr. Bones
I’ve been trying to find IV sets in your medical supplies shop site but can’t find any. Are they included in any kits that I may be missing? It would help for heat stroke conditions to have at least Lactated Ringers or Normal Saline available. It takes approximately 2 hours to get response from EMT or Paramedics out here where we live. And that’s under NORMAL conditions never mind during a catastrophe. With ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes etc, you can just forget about getting in nor out. Live wires, and trees cover the roads which have 50-200 foot drop offs. We have poor response to ice conditions with only gravel put on the roads and no rock salt. We are often stuck out here for weeks during bad weather conditions.
Just last week during a routine checkup I had the opportunity to approach my own doctor about the uncertain future. I shared some of my concerns with my doctor. I mentioned a possible break in the normal Rx delivery system. I also told him how worried I was about the pending economic problems and told him I felt that my b/p medication was important for continued good health. I asked if he would write a prescription so that I could have additional medication ‘on hand’. At first, he asked me if I was preparing for a nuclear problem and if I had an underground bunker. I was surprised at that question and he saw it….then he asked if I saw that show on TV about “preppers”. I told him I didn’t see that but I was self-reliant and that not having a back-up for the Rx was of concern to me. He then confided that if he or a family member had a problem like diabetes, he would have insulin “on hand”.
He wrote the Rx for 12 months and now I will have the ability to buy my prescription medication off-insurance. And all I needed to do was ask him and provide a basic reason.
Hi Zoltanne,
Sometimes, if you ask, you do receive…
Dr. Bones
This will be a very good ice breaker to many of us. Thank you.
As a paramedic/firefighter working the aftermath of hurricane Andrew in south Florida I agree with the idea of people having extra medicine. The majority of doctors offices and pharmacies were closed and some up to several weeks. This resulted in every medical need being treated at the various hospitals. Patients with non life threatening issues extended out into the parking lots in several hospitals. Filling prescriptions was next to impossible due to the closed pharmacies. Suggestion to make it part of our building codes(especially here in south Florida) to require pharmacies, doctors offices and gas stations to have emergency generators has fallen mostly on deaf ears. Some of our off duty members drove several counties north and rented an old ice cream delivery truck and filled it with bags and blocks of ice. The ice was for family, friends and neighbors who needed to cool medications like insulin.