Disaster Preparedness and Healthcare

Here is some valuable information on medical and healthcare disaster preparedness. This information would be a great resource to make available to your communities in a handout or a class taught at a local civic organization or church group. While it deals with hurricane preparedness, this information could certainly be adapted to any disaster preparedness plan.

For more info on disaster preparedness for families, check out this link at FEMA.

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Hollywood, FL (PRWEB) June 19, 2007 — To prepare for a hurricane, residents in hurricane-prone areas are urged to stock up on emergency supplies, learn about their local emergency plans, warning signals, and evacuation routes. However, one area that is often overlooked is ensuring continuity of medicines and healthcare.

“When a storm hits, we all think about batteries and water, but we forget to include medications for ourselves, our families and our pets,” said Rene Reyes, M.D. “Whether it be insulin, heart medication or a simple first-aid kit, it is important to make these items a priority when preparing for a storm. I recommend that patients always maintain their prescriptions up-to-date and keep them in their original bottles along with any other helpful medical information,” continued Dr. Reyes.

Patients should check how much medicine they have and get refills as soon as possible. If patients need to evacuate prior to refilling, they should take a waterproof bag with their current medications – even if the bottles are empty. The information on the bottle labels will help the pharmacist refill the medicine once they have arrived at their destination. The waterproof bag is helpful for protecting medicines against heat, humidity and sunlight that can degrade the effectiveness of the medicine. Additionally, patients should keep a written record of their current prescriptions and dosages with their other valuable papers, including their insurance cards, doctor’s name and contact information. Dr. Reyes also urges his patients to ensure they have adequate supply of other medical equipment and supplies such as dentures, glucometers & strips, nebulizers, crutches, prostheses, etc.

After an emergency Dr. Reyes encourages his patients to prevent common health risks associated with storms such as those from food, water and heat exhaustion. Individuals should not eat any food that may have come in contact with dirty water from floods or tidal surges, and refrigerators that have been without power should be cleaned out. Additionally, it is important to watch for the warning signs of heat exhaustion, which include heavy sweating, weakness, paleness, nausea and vomiting.

“One of the main ways to prevent illness after a storm is to simply wash your hands,” stated Dr. Reyes. Finding running water may be difficult, but keeping your hands clean will help you avoid getting sick. It is best to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, but when water is not available, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers will do.”

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Great information! Check back here at MedicCast.com for more information, tips, and news. I publish new information 4 or 5 times each week.

Stay Safe!