Is COVID + IDA an Existential Threat to Louisiana Doctors and All Healthcare Staff?

Posted by Dike Drummond MD

What could be worse than COVID 19 Wave Four in a State with a 41% vaccination rate?

How about a Cat 4 Hurricane slapped right across your face at the very same time.

My biggest fear is that this one-two punch will destroy the healthcare delivery system in New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and any other state in IDA's path.

The buildings may remain standing, my concern is the will of the people in the front lines.

A year from now, how will the next 72 hours be recalled and who among the doctors, nurses, first responders and all the other healthcare staff ... will still be happy to be a healthcare provider.

PRAY FOR THE DOCTORS AND STAFF IN THE PATH OF IDA.
GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT
DONATE to the IDA Relief Fund at the RED CROSS 
and beware of disaster relief scammers
[ TheHappyMD.com just donated $1000 ]

My heart breaks for my friends in Louisiana, the good doctors and all the nurses, first responders and staff of Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge and the magical city of New Orleans.

As I write this, IDA is within hours of landfall. Near hurricane-force winds are savaging the LA coastline and the rains have made landfall. 

The storm came up too quickly for a full evacuation. 

  • This will be one of the top three strongest hurricanes to hit NOLA and Louisiana.
  • Last time a storm like this hit - Katrina - the dikes failed, 1800 people lost their lives in a flood that lasted weeks. 
  • The lower Mississippi is lined with oil refineries and chemical plants in such density and profusion that an additional toxic waste disaster is also highly likely to occur as well.

JUST IMAGINE ...

However bad your COVID 19 situation is within the boundaries of your hospital, your town and your state -- throw in a natural disaster mass casualty event from a storm that could also 

  • Knock out your power
  • Destroy your first responder capability with floods and trees blocking roads
  • and even flood or collapse the hospital itself

PRAY for the people of New Orleans and Louisiana and any other state in the path of IDA over the next week.

PRAY for all the people responding to the double tragedy.

PRAY for everyone who will take part in the relief effort.

DONATE to the relief effort when the proper donation channels are identified. BEWARE of scammers who will be everywhere in the wake of this tragedy. 
Here is the RED CROSS IDA donation link: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/

We will hope each person in the response and relief effort can find a blessing or two in the events of the next several days and we can pick up the pieces on the other side.

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A prayer and a blessing for NOLA and all in IDA's path

 

 

Tags: Physician Burnout, Covid19