Doctors in Puerto Rico Practice Medicine In ‘Post-Apocalyptic’ Conditions

Nearly four weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, doctors are experiencing ‘post-apocalyptic’ conditions. The reality doctors in Puerto Rico are facing is similar to that from a dystopian novel.
Doctors are conducting surgical procedures in sweltering 95-degree heat, experience malfunctioning X-ray machines, and have seen medications literally melting. ‘We’re practicing disaster medicine in real life,’ said Dr. William Kotler, a senior resident in emergency medicine at Florida Hospital in Orlando, who spent two weeks volunteering on the island earlier this month. ‘We improvise if we have to, with very little resources.’
Arriving one week after Hurricane Maria made landfall, Dr. Kotler and four other emergency physicians from Florida Hospital in Orlando, finished up a volunteer mission on the devastated island. They were the first medical relief team the hospital sent to the island. ‘We went in blind,’ said Dr. Julian Trivino, who was among the first team of volunteers.

This post was published at shtfplan on October 18th, 2017.