Doctors interested in going to Haiti to provide medical assistance can
enter themselves in a new volunteer physician registry set up by the
American Medical Association and the National Disaster Life Support
Foundation.
The AMA plans to use the registry to help coordinate federal government and
private-sector medical efforts responding to the devastation caused by a
7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Jan. 12 and was followed by several
aftershocks. Almost 200,00 Haitians are injured, the country's government
estimates.
"Practicing physicians, we need you," AMA President J. James Rohack, MD,
wrote in a blog post. "Two weeks may have lapsed since devastation struck
those in Haiti, but let's not forget the hundreds of thousands who are
still suffering and need our help."
The registry -- launched Jan. 26 -- is open to all licensed doctors and
requests information such as specialty, language skills, availability and
previous disaster medicine experience.
The registry is available online (www.ama-assn.org/go/haiti-volunteer).
An in-depth Webinar on how medical responders can prepare for working in
Haiti is available, along with other resources, at the AMA Web site
(www.ama-assn.org/go/haiti-earthquake).
The full and original article can be found here:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/01/25/prsf0128.htm
