5 ways doctors can cope when natural disaster strikes

The ice storm of 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia made headlines for weeks described as “snowpocalypse” and “snowmageddon.” It looked like something from a sci-fi movie — the end of the world, an alien invasion. It was the subject of social media memes and discourse for quite some time. In the midst of all that human frustration, there were ice-trapped cars, parents who struggled to reach children trapped at elementary schools. Physicians, nurses and hospital staff remained steadfast in their commitment to patient care. They were bound to duty and remained in hospital critical areas, intensive care units and emergency rooms. They were always ready to receive patients while the rest of the city around them came to a screeching halt, as families together fortified dealt with the wrath of Mother Nature. If you have lived in a city that has experienced any major natural disaster, this type of scenario is not new to you. As I watched the news, spoke with close physician friends, and who were affected by the recent Hurricane Harvey in Texas and experienced a small portion of Irma here in the southeast, I was touched again by the untold story of physicians, nurses and hospital staff and our sacrifice in the midst of disaster. There are physician mothers and fathers who were forced to take multiple nights of call without relief because backup could not get to the hospital. Others still are separated from their family, leaving a spouse, aging parents to fend for themselv...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Hospital-Based Medicine Source Type: blogs