OT: Information on Japanese earthquake & tsunami relief efforts

Our condolences, thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the massive earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan.

The search and rescue phase of this response is still underway with 15 international teams augmenting the Japanese resources. The American College of Surgeons sent out this handy reference page for news updates and aid organizations, which I am reproducing here.


Please refer to the following sites for situational updates:

ReliefWeb

USAID

American College of Surgeons Relief Effort


Information on Tsunamis:

Observations and Lessons Learned in the Recovery Phase of the 2004 Asian Tsunami Bridgewater et al, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, Special Report - Vol 21, No 1, Jan-Feb 2006

CDC


Information on Radiation Exposure and Treatment:

NIH's Medline Plus page on Radiation Exposure (extensive resources found here)

Radiation Emergency Medical Management - HHS


For information on donating to organizations responding to this disaster:

Charity Navigator

American Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
International Medical Corps
Project Hope
Save the Children

Hero of the week: Paul Vanek, MD

I'd like to recognize the humanitarian efforts of one of my longtime friends, Dr. Paul Vanek. Paul, who is a double-boarded plastic surgeon and general surgeon, and I trained together in Plastic Surgery, at the University of Michigan, more than a few years ago.

When the earthquake struck Haiti, Paul knew what he had to do. He called CNN, and found about a medical relief team called Project Medishare. Leaving his practice and family in Ohio, Paul flew to Haiti, with 2 nurses and an aesthesiologist and joined the effort....and started to work.

His background in trauma surgery came in handy, as he dealt with infections & abscesses, major limb issues, crush injuries and the like - all in very primitive conditions, with the most basic of equipment. According to Paul, it was more basic than TV's "MASH" series. What they didn't have in equipment, they improvised. For 8 days, the surgical team slept on the ground, ate MRE's, and operated day and night on the injured multitudes who needed help, until they ran out of supplies.

That's heroic.

You can read about Dr. Vanek's work with project Medishare here, or in numerous local papers (link)

Paul is humble about his role in the experience. Ever philosphical, he is now back at home in Ohio with his family, and is grateful for life's blessings. He's continuing to raise money for Project Medishare and the Haiti relief effort.

Well done, my friend!