The Disaster Blog 17 November 2013 Cebu, Philippines The flight today had our airliner keeping well away from a single cumulous nimbus cloud rising above the Philippine archipelago. It was interesting to watch. It had the large base and the anvil top where the top of the storm is blow away in the direction of the prevailing upper level winds. However, the anvil then took a 180 degree turn and headed in the opposite direction and toward the sun. As the cloud degenerated, the base melted away and all that was left was an orange z track in the sky. It was an unusual display in the sky. Today also started as a frustrating day. After posting on Facebook how my team was ready to deploy but did not have a mission, the power of social networking started to demonstrate the electronic ability. E-mails and phone calls started to come in slowly developing wave that eventually overtook me near the time I was ready for sleep. But I had to keep treading water to see if we had a mission. During this blitz of communication, I was placed in contact, via our RAM Contact, Heidi, with the Philippine Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Berna. She was made aware of our team, and while using her extensive contacts, she found an assignment for us in the northern tip of Cebu. This area took a direct hit from the typhoon, but has not received much assistance. I recognized that she had a mission, she had a local contact who was an NGO that would request us and provide local assistance such as transportation to the affected area and all the communications were going well. Berna even said that she would be able to get us military transportation into the area. I was asked for birthdates and other info to prepare for the flight this morning. This seemed very real. The team had gone to sleep early and I woke them up to get them ready for the next day. Since the team, now named, Team One, was not going to Tecloban, they did not need as many meds as we had packed. Originally, I gave the team half of the supplies due to the difficultly in resupplying the team. Now, however the team was going to a more accessible place and I decided that the team would be given a third of the supplies and we would be able to stock two other teams. Additionally, Berna requested an itemized list of supplies for the military. At midnight, it was time to get some sleep. Berna said she would find a flight at a reasonable hour and that I would have the details in the morning. When I woke up, there were no details. My e-mail and phone were silent. I knew right away that there was not flight and consequently, there was no mission. I was getting frustrated with the logistical problems when I learned that the local airport was open for commercial traffic. I called team one together and we made a decision to get a commercial flight to Cebu and bypass all of the other middlemen with whom we were dealing. If we could get to Cebu, we could finally get our medical volunteers in front of people who needed medical care. As the team packed their bags for the rapid departure, I contacted our two Filipina doctors to let them know to meet us at the airport. I was shocked when they both asked to back out of their commitment at the last minute. I was more than shocked, I was angry. This team was getting mighty thin. We were now without a doctor. We had a family nurse practioner who is an excellent practioner but who has no disaster experience. I looked at her from across the table and asked her if she could do this mission as the only doctor and with two non-medical volunteers. Her face was immediately flushed and she started to cry. I understood that to be a clear “no.” The only solution left was to join the team and deploy with them. During the Haiti Earthquake, I trained a young nurse, Danya Swanson, to be an Incident Commander and disaster manager. I had to remind her a few times that the managers do not get involved in providing direct care. Now I was breaking my own rule and I was certain I would be chastised by her for doing so. However, if we are going to get a team in the field, it appears that I am going to have to directly lead them to their customers. After the team is established, I can go back to managing the rest of the program. The good news, is that I love getting in the field. I did not want to watch the team leave without me. At least now, I can have a few days of field work before I return to desk duty. Eventually, the team was at the airport and MD Lilia had decided to join us. By that time it was too late for me to return and I think the team needs me for this first deployment. What I noticed today was how people respond to significant challenges. When the call first went out for assistance many people volunteers. As they were chosen and they realized how it might be difficult schedule. A few dropped out. Some then looked at the cost and dropped out while a few moved forward. Finally, as the time where the military would say, “the bullet meets the bone,” there were only a few left standing. It was as if our volunteer pool was today’s thundercloud. Seemingly enormous and powerful. The top of the cloud pushed away by the strong winds above. And at the very top, somehow, a sliver of cloud want against the grain, towards the heat of the sun. When the base of the cloud was rain that became the mud of the jungle below, it was the top sliver that was glowing orange alone in the sky. This evening, I am in a hotel in Cebu. Tomorrow our team will travel north to the disaster zone. While my team is small, today, I know I am with the orange sliver. I am with the people who were courageous enough to take the risk. I am with a team brave enough to challenger their skills and their emotions. At some point, most of this team needed me to encourage them to take the step. But they have stepped forward with others have not. They have gone against the prevailing winds toward the heat of the sun. Additionally, within the last 10 minutes, the Philippine Red Cross has called for RAM to staff the roving medical clinics. We will be having an immediate need for 20 doctors, 10 nurses, 5 EMTs and 5 non-medical assistants. It is about to get interesting. Now that Team One has demonstrated that RAM is in the field, it will be easier for others to follow the footprints of the trailblazers.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 14:36:20 +0000
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