opinion
Medical disaster preparedness for children requires special attention
Posted Sept. 20, 2010
Regarding "Katrina's legacy: Rethinking medical disaster planning" (link): I concur that U.S. physicians and the public remain underprepared to react and take action in the event of a humanitarian emergency.
While your article underscores our inadequacies related to adult health care providers, disaster management issues related to children were overlooked. Children make up nearly 25% of our population and are among the most vulnerable risk groups.
On Aug. 23, the National Commission on Children and Disasters approved their "2010 Report to the President and Congress."
The executive summary of the report is available on the organization's website (link).
R. Scott Krupkin, MD, Cleveland
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/09/20/edlt0920.htm.












