In Disasters, the Key Is Medical Supplies : Government Can Improve Odds by Providing Emergency Backpacks for Personnel

In the recent earthquake in the Philippines, more than 1,600 people were killed and at least 3,000 more severely injured, many of whom were cut off from outside aid for hours, some for days.

Those isolated conditions that make stricken areas dependent on their own resources are usually present in the early hours of most disasters. But preparedness can save lives, which is what Dr. Robert Bade is trying to do in Orange County with his innovative Medical Disaster Response program. It is an effort that the community should solidly support.

Bade knows that in a disaster, time can’t be wasted trying to find medical supplies to treat the injured who can’t get to a hospital. So he devised his plan to equip physicians throughout the community with medical backpacks to carry in their car trunks. The packs will enable them to treat, and even perform surgery on, up to six severely injured people.

In addition, the 123 fire stations in the county will serve as satellite storage sites for larger modules of medical equipment that will have enough medical provisions to treat up to 25 people.

There are two critical ingredients in the prescription for the disaster plan: enough volunteer doctors and nurses--and enough money to buy the medical kits they need to treat the most seriously injured victims until they can be moved to a hospital.

Some doctors have already been trained and others have signed up for the program. With about 3,500 physicians in the county, getting the medical help should pose no major problem. What is in short supply is the money to buy the medical kits.

The County Board of Supervisors has approved $45,000 in grant funds and the Orange County Fire Department has budgeted money for seven of the $7,500 large medical kits. Orange, the first city to commit funds, is acquiring four medical kits for its fire stations and Mission Viejo, Brea, Dana Point and Yorba Linda intend to buy some. The remaining 25 cities in Orange County should participate too.

Government is responsible for public safety, but with today’s budget constraints, partnerships between the public and private sectors are not only desirable but often necessary. In disaster preparedness, time is vital. No one knows when or where the next one will strike, or who its victims will be.

The community can buy an extra measure of disaster insurance by providing enough kits so that when a catastrophe comes, medical help will be where it is needed most.