Medical Preparedness for the Medic—And the Others

One of the concepts Dr. Steve discussed in our classes was the idea of medical preparedness for the medic.  The group medic can’t just plan on being a medic without any other responsibilities.  Most of the time, the medic isn’t actually going to be addressing medical concerns.  In a collapsed society, most of the medic’s time will be spent cooking, doing laundry, or gardening, or in other duties involving security, communications, transportation, and such.  The medic doesn’t get to sit around while the others work.  He’s a member of the team (or family) first, and the team works together to accomplish their goals.

Beyond that, however, there are different aspects of medical preparedness that aren’t as frequently covered—the boring stuff that no one really wants to talk about because, you know, it’s boring.

Medical records.  As treatment is provided, whatever is done has to be recorded.  That means the medic has to have the forms.  While the patient is responsible for storing his own records and bringing them when seeking treatment, in the beginning the patient isn’t likely to have any forms.  He may not have records at all.  The medic should have forms on hand—at the very least some paper and formats the patients or their families can copy (by hand, probably). 

Medical training.  The medic is responsible for training the other members of the group or family so that they can care for their own basic needs as well as provide assistance during a crisis.  Regular practice in wound care and bandaging, discussion of nutritional needs and disinfection, and review of proper storage and location of medical supplies is essential to managing patient care well in a crisis.

Medical knowledge.  Learning never ceases.  Not only does the medic need to be able to provide conventional medical care in austere circumstances, but he also needs to become very familiar with medicinal herbs in the area, their location, and how they are prepared and administered.  He needs to know the common OTC meds inside and out, and be willing to research the off-label uses of other common drugs—stuff like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, or nitazoxanide.  He needs to keep learning about alternative medical uses of common items like rubbing alcohol, sugar, and coconut oil.  The next thing you learn might make all the difference, whether it’s being able to reassure a mother that her child has nursemaid’s elbow and it’s easily and quickly resolved, or administering cayenne pepper tincture to a gentleman experiencing a heart attack.

Medical equipment.  Due to the expense, it can take some time to acquire critical devices.  Fortunately, not everyone in the group needs to have everything.  Medical equipment can be easily shared, though it might be best kept in one location and under a single person’s custody.  Pulse-oximeters aren’t too expensive and are quite handy, as we learned this year with COVID.   An otoscope is rarely used but helpful with ear infections.  Every group should have a pair of crutches in the storeroom.  But not everyone needs them all the time.  They can be shared in the group. 

Medical supplies.  The medic needs to train the group on the importance of gathering their own supplies.  Group members must gather their own medications and medical supplies, including antibiotics, dressings, and disinfectants.  It’s a difficult concept for many to wrap their minds around.  They can’t imagine that supplies will be limited and there will be no resupply for a long time.  Four-hundred Benadryl tablets sounds like a lot, even over the top, until someone in the group starts taking two every night to go to sleep, while another is using them every day to get through allergy season.  If the crisis only lasts 4 months, that supply will be adequate—as long as no one else needs them.  However, if the collapse is going to last longer (and both sides always assert that the conflict will end quickly), both of those uses will have to come to an abrupt end to save Benadryl for more emergent needs if enough hasn’t been stockpiled.  That’s just for over-the-counter Benadryl.  What about life-saving antibiotics?  Making sure group members understand and practice the responsibility for procuring their own supplies will ultimately make medic’s job much easier.  However, if group members do not take responsibility for acquiring their own supplies, the medic will have to institute a system of triage to ration medical care.  That never goes over well with the rest of the group—especially the patient and his family members.  

The medic shouldn't be expected to provide everything.  Indeed, he just can’t.  Every adult in the group must accept the responsibility for acquiring his own family’s supplies, including medications.  

TL;DR:  I guaran-darn-tee you that there is no doctor in the country stocking essential medical supplies or medicine for you and your family.

Links to related posts:

Alternative Uses of Benadryl

Rubbing Alcohol:  What You Want and How to Use It

The Master Medical Shopping List