Puerto Rico still in need of imaging technology, supplies
Nearly a month after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, just weeks after Hurricane Irma swept the same U.S. territory, physicians on the island have been and are still practicing with limited resources in what many say is a "post-apocalyptic" reality.
According to a recent report from CNN, the destruction caused by Maria and Irma has left Puerto Rican residents and medical practitioners with little to no medical resources.
The resources they do have that require electricity work in some areas. However, roughly 80 percent of the island still lacks power, according to the report, making imaging procedures such as CT scans impossible. X-ray machines and other supplies continue to be shipped from volunteer medical teams and hospitals across the U.S.
"We're practicing disaster medicine in real life," said William Kotler, MD, to CNN. Kotler is a senior resident in emergency medicine with Florida Hospital in Orlando who spent two weeks volunteering on the island in early October. "We improvise if we have to, with very little resources."
Read the full story and learn more about how you can contribute to Puerto Rico's relief efforts.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.