Salutations to all,
My concerns about First Responders goes back to an interview at NPR in 2004 from memory. My concerns where about the working conditions for Doctors, Nurses and ParaMedics. As many said, we were ahead of the Parade then in our concerns (I say "We" because one of the Reveres from Effect Measure attend the same interview. Still this interview triggered some actions from Doctors and Nurses mainly on PPE (Protective Personal Equipment) and prophylactics (Medicine that reduce the chances to get infected).
In the last two weeks I attend a couple of meeting concerning Continuity of operations of Pharmacies, how it can be done while protecting the Services Providers.
Here are some considerations and I invite you to contribute, mainly Pharmacists and what you are intend to do, it could save many lives if we manage to keep the Pharmacies Up.
You can be sure that your pertinent ideas as the ones coming from the Public will be swiftly convey to pertinent people and institutions.
Sincere thanks to give your help.
Snowy Owl
First let me share with you the atmosphere and the 'state of being' of pharmacists and medicines distributors.
ALL of them where insecure about their capacity to have access to their Fall orders because of the WHO declaration of the swine flu H1N1 World Wide pandemic.
Orders for Fall are NOT secure because many producers countries in their pandemic preparedness plans will prioritized their own citizens and might not respect orders from foreign countries under the concept of 'Force majeure'.
Health Institutions and Health Care Providers fears the probable second wave of H1N1 in the Fall mainly because of a lack of medical equipments (ventilators), a lack of critical medicines, a lack of vaccines, a lack of Protective Personal Equipments.
Refer to Preparing for the Second Wave of this World pandemic
On Wed Jun 03, 2009 I wrote the following Hints and tips
in the Diary From theory to reality, 1st wave of a World pandemic
I've first strongly recommending you to first buy the regular critical medicine that you need for few months ahead of Time and do it NOW.
As you are starting to realize, a world wide pandemic will affect each of us, each of our family, each of our Community and all Nations around the World. My intent for years is to Inform not to Inflame, while doing my best to get you moving and find some alternatives.
Right away at the meetings I have been told that we do not have problems to provide adequate medicine for regular and chronic diseases for a couple of months but for the Fall of 2009, insecurity in accessibility and availability is THE major cause of concerns.
Some directives has been impose in some countries to go easy on antiviral like Tamiflu.
There are at least two reasons for this, one strictly medical and the other one for critical business, first responders and GovernMental continuity imperatives.
On the medical level, it is true and legitimate that too much Tamiflu on a large scale does indeed lead to Tamiflu resistance which means that down the road Tamiflu would not have any effect on H1N1 strain, leaving us with only PPE, Vaccines and Alternatives Medicinal products.
As for the imperativeness of continuity in Humanitarian Governance, Protection of First Responders, logic speak for itself. How could we reduce morbidity and mortality, if their are no Humanitarian Governance nor First Responders, asking the questions provide eloquent answers.
Just to give an example provided to me via MSF (Doctors without borders), they have witness the collapse of GovernMental continuity in Zimbabwe.
A doctor told me that he did not get paid for months, could not get gaz to get to work, did not have the money to feed his family and because Blue Workers did not fix the running waters in Urban Centers a terrible morbid and lethal cholera epidemic outbreak happened very fast.
Raging cholera is just tip of Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis
"From what we see each day it couldn't be clearer – this is a massive medical emergency, spiralling out of control," said Manuel Lopez, MSF Head of Mission in Zimbabwe. MSF PDF Report
Here is another report
Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis continues to rapidly deteriorate, causing appalling suffering, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The organisation's medical teams have now treated almost 45,000 people, an estimated 75 percent of the total number of cases in the current cholera outbreak - and the crisis is far from over.
The severity of this outbreak is just one manifestation of the disastrous state of Zimbabwe's health system and its collapsed infrastructure, as MSF describes in its paper "Beyond Cholera: Zimbabwe's Worsening Crisis", issued today (February 17, 2009).
Many health facilities have now closed or are not functioning. Others demand exorbitant fees in foreign currencies. Effectively, this makes it impossible for most Zimbabweans to access medical care.
"There has been a devastating implosion of Zimbabwe's once-lauded health system, which doesn't just affect cholera patients." said Manuel Lopez, MSF Head of Mission in Zimbabwe. "We know that public hospitals are turning people away; health centres are running out of supplies and equipment; there is an acute lack of medical staff; patients can't afford to travel to pick up their HIV medication or to receive treatment; and many of our own clinics are overflowing. From what we see each day it couldn't be clearer – this is a massive medical emergency, spiralling out of control."
These collapse of Health Care Infrastuctures and running out of supplies and equipment and an acute lack of medical staff can happen here my friends.
President Obama admin and the Congress approves $7.65 billion for pandemic flu response, $7.65 billion for battling pandemic influenza is more than three times what the House and Senate had earlier proposed.
It gives a sense of the gravity of the situation.
Do get informed my friends, so much sufferings can be avoided if we Dare to Prepare.
Snowy Owl