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Lessons Learned from a Medical Response Team 45 Days Post-Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Jessica M Gordon1, Deidre Orriola2, Mary Unangst3
1University of South Florida, College of Nursing, Tampa, Florida.
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
|October 24, 2019
Summary
A nongovernmental disaster medical team (DMT) provided crucial primary care in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Lessons learned from this grassroots response can inform future disaster medical teams.
Area of Science:
- Disaster medicine
- Public health interventions
- Nongovernmental organization (NGO) response
Background:
- Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, creating significant medical needs.
- Grassroots, nongovernmental disaster medical teams (DMTs) play a vital role in post-disaster primary care.
- Understanding the lived experience of these teams is crucial for optimizing future responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the lived experience of a nongovernmental DMT in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria.
- To identify practical, strategic lessons learned from the DMT's public health intervention.
- To inform and support future disaster response teams.
Main Methods:
- A nongovernmental DMT provided primary medical care via pop-up clinics and home visits 45 days post-Hurricane Maria.
- Data collection included observational data, photos, and debriefing notes in daily logs.
- Field notes were coded descriptively and categorized into public health and medical diagnosis domains.
Main Results:
- Nearly 300 residents received medical aid.
- Observed conditions included exhaustion, exacerbated chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, reactive airway disease), and depression.
- Home visits revealed patient sadness and helplessness linked to trauma and living conditions.
Conclusions:
- The nongovernmental DMT exhibited characteristics similar to federal DMTs.
- Strategic lessons emerged regarding public health interventions for future NGO disaster medical teams.
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