I think one of
the primary reasons that so many people refuse to prepare for challenging times
is that they cannot fathom what they will do to care for their children and
loved ones when there is no medical care available. Preparing well now can help us deal
appropriately with the challenges we will face.
However, that involves coming to terms with our current reality.
At present, our
medical care system is extremely evolved. We have sophisticated laboratory tests that
can identify blood cell counts, toxins, bacteria and viruses; imaging labs for
x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. If a general
practitioner can’t figure out what you have, s/he orders lab tests and/or sends
you on to a specialist. If we can’t get
in to see our regular doctor, there is urgent care or the emergency room at the
hospital. In Laura Ingalls’ world of the
1880s, Doc Baker did it all from boo-boos and broken bones to internal
medicine, heart issues, and death. When the tiered response and technologically
dependent medical system we currently use disappears, we need to be prepared to
deal with it.
Our highly
specialized care providers have achieved their level of expertise largely through the
means of highly specialized equipment.
When that equipment no longer functions, they will be no more skilled
than Doc Baker. In fact, they may be
handicapped because they have not trained to work without the technology that
facilitates expression of their knowledge.
When the grid goes away, their value as a care provider may not completely
evaporate, but it could be severely compromised.
True, hospital
generators may keep some equipment running for a short time. But how long?
Once the fuel supply is exhausted, there will be no:
- Lights
- Heat
or air conditioning - Laboratory
work - Radiology—x-rays,
MRIs, or CT scans - Sterilization
of anything - Laundry
- Patient
monitors - Patient
records (everything is online—there are no paper records) - Payroll
- Food
services
Then what
happens? When transportation stops,
within one week:
- Hospital
and clinic supplies, most of which are disposable, will be exhausted - Pharmacy
shelves will be empty
With COVID, we
saw that hospitals did not have enough masks, gloves, or personal protective
equipment for even a few days. What
happens with a true pandemic or large scale disaster?
Within a few
days:
- Sanitation
and water supplies will be compromised (no fuel or generators to keep the water
flowing) - Diseases
are inevitable due to lack of clean water and sanitation
So what can we
do?
- Doctors
and other medical personnel cannot provide anything but primitive care without
supplies or disinfection capability. - There
are no contingency plans established at most hospitals in the US. (In fact, many hospitals are built in poor
locations. For example, all the major
hospitals in Utah are built right on or next to a major earthquake fault line.) - We
have to prepare. A well-trained medic
can provide clean water, sanitation, medical supplies (ones that can be
sterilized and re-used when possible).
It is all up to you.
You are responsible for meeting your family’s medical needs.
- Knowledge base
- Medical knowledge
- What have you
internalized? What do you just
know without needing to consult any references? - What references do you
have? - Most physician
references are digitalized. How
accessible will these be if the grid goes down? - Have hard copies of
at least a few books, if possible.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s Bring Your Own Bandages, or something else - Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd
Edition - Armageddon Medicine
- The Survival Medicine Handbook
- The Ship’s Medicine Chest and Guide to Medical Aid
at Sea - Where There Is No Doctor
- The above are all
good references. Get at least
three if possible. No one book covers
everything, even the common diseases. - Medical skills
- Prevention skills—clean
water and sanitation, wearing protective gear, sterilization. - Diagnostic skills—being
able to diagnose conditions without lab tests, based only on the patient
history. - Interventional skills—knowing
how to turn a bad situation around. - What do you have?
- Have you acquired durable
medical supplies that don’t require batteries (if possible)? Glass thermometers, pulse oximeter
(batteries required), stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, etc. - What expendable medical
supplies do you have? Medications,
wound dressings, sutures, disinfectants, syringes, etc. - What about advanced
items, the things you may not know how to use, but better have on hand
for a doctor to treat your family—IV fluids, antibiotics, sterile gloves
and gowns, general anesthetics - Improvisational
supplies like sugar, plastic wrap, Vaseline, apple cider vinegar, etc.
Getting
prepared for a complete collapse of medical care can be overwhelming. But it is not impossible or
unattainable. Like everything regarding
preparedness, we do it one step at a time.
Begin by acquiring some knowledge.
Purchase a book. Start acquiring
supplies you are most likely to use based on your family’s history. Get the medical records together and
up-to-date. Set aside a designated time
each week to work on medical preparedness.
No one else is doing it for you—nobody can. Each family is unique with specific
needs.
It’s
up to you to prepare your family for the challenges that lie ahead.
Links to related posts:
Ship’s Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea
Prioritizing the Acquisition of Supplies