“……Most of the healthcare visits after the storm will not be people injured or sickened directly but rather people with chronic health conditions who have been displaced from their normal source of health care.
Disruption of outpatient, community-, and home-based care adversely affects patients not only directly but also indirectly by placing an extraordinary burden on hospitals that are ill-prepared for both the volume of patients and the types of problems that these patients experience……
Nonhospital residential facilities are usually less prepared and… inherently less resilient than hospitals.
The storm can easily splinter the already fragile support systems on which many vulnerable people (eg, elderly, young, chronically ill, addicted, poor, and non–English speaking people) rely, such as home-based care, public clinics, just-in-time medications, and public transportation.
Special needs and medical shelters must have a large capacity with a well-considered mission, staffing, and concept of operation.
With the aftermath of the storm lasting weeks or months, patients’ access to health care may be disrupted for extended periods……
External support and relief will be desperately needed to handle the surge in patients and to backfill local personnel who are unable to report for work or who need respite after days and weeks of sustained work with little sleep.
The loss of readily available vehicle fuel, electricity, electronic communications, and transportation threaten people with chronic health needs and greatly hinder the ability of healthcare facilities to respond.
Mobile health units of various types can be very useful….
Normal procedures and standards of care may need to be adjusted in order to do the most good for the greatest number.
Political leaders play an important but not always constructive role. ……”
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Saturday, September 2nd, 2017 at
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Tropical cyclones, Tropical storms .
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