Sportsmanship
As a Palestinian, I have complicated feelings about proposed football matches between Israeli and Palestinian teams. I believe in the power of sport. I believe sports can build bridges, but before we talk about symbolic matches, we have to talk about survival. Palestinians should not have to be used as symbols of peace while children […]
Supply Chain Disruptions
A million-square-foot medical supply warehouse in California has been burning for days, sending smoke into surrounding communities and disrupting a major healthcare distribution hub. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported, but the ripple effects extend far beyond one building. For those of us who work in disaster preparedness, this is a reminder that resilience isn’t […]
The Role of the Occupational Health Nurse in Disasters
Why do we put our most seasoned nurse in triage during a disaster? I have found that we are the ones that do the worst in triage because of all the knowledge we have. I recently had the opportunity to connect with Occupational Health Nurses and they are so adaptable and can be put in […]
Dental emergencies do not stop during disasters.
And when access to dental care is disrupted, small problems can quickly become serious health issues. Tooth pain. Broken teeth. Dental infections. Abscesses. Lost fillings. Oral trauma. Bleeding. Jaw injuries. During disasters, damaged clinics, transportation failures, power outages, staffing shortages, and overwhelmed healthcare systems can make even routine dental care difficult or impossible to access. […]
Be Prepared. Be Ready.
In disasters, people rarely rise to the level of perfect memory. They fall back on preparation. That is why checklists matter. During emergencies, stress, fear, exhaustion, chaos, and rapidly changing conditions can make it difficult to think clearly or remember critical steps. Even highly trained professionals use checklists in high-risk situations. Pilots use them. Surgeons […]
Pregnancy does not stop during disasters.
Babies still come. Labor still happens. Complications still occur. But disasters can make maternal and newborn care significantly more dangerous. Flooded roads, damaged hospitals, power outages, transportation failures, staffing shortages, medication disruptions, and overwhelmed healthcare systems can delay or completely interrupt access to prenatal care, labor and delivery services, emergency surgery, and postpartum support. For […]
Education is often one of the First Casualties of Disaster
When disasters happen, schools do not simply close for a few days. For many children, education can be disrupted for weeks, months, or even years. Flooded classrooms. Destroyed schools. Displacement. Power outages. Loss of internet access. Unsafe transportation. Armed conflict. Overcrowded shelters. Loss of teachers and resources. Disasters can abruptly interrupt the stability and routine […]
Children carry some of the deepest wounds of war.
Pediatric injuries during armed conflict are often devastating, complex, and life-altering. Blast injuries. Burns. Crush injuries. Shrapnel wounds. Traumatic amputations. Head trauma. Spinal cord injuries. Malnutrition. Infectious disease. Psychological trauma. But the impact of war on children goes far beyond physical injury. Many pediatric patients are injured in environments where healthcare systems have already been […]
Eid Mubarak
When the Power Goes Out, the Disaster Changes
Power outages during disasters are more than an inconvenience. They can quickly become life-threatening. Electricity supports nearly every part of modern life: • Healthcare systems • Refrigeration for medications and food • Oxygen concentrators and medical devices • Communication systems • Water treatment facilities • Heating and cooling • Traffic systems • Fuel pumps • […]