Physicians Are Always On Call, Even at the Boston Marathon
Whenever we experience a tragedy from a distance, the first feelings are usually shock. However, what if you are at ground zero? What type of emotions are typically racing through your body and mind? Well….if you’re a doctor, “first responder” is the mode that you turn on during these types of events.
Dr. Vivek Shah. an orthopedic surgeon at New England Baptist Hospital in Roxbury Crossing, Massachusetts, had just crossed the finish line when the bombs went off. “I’ve never obviously been in combat, but people I’ve trained with have been and this is as close as I can imagine it would be,” Shah told ABC News Radio late Monday night. “Just, basically piles of victims. Everything I saw was a traumatic amputation, basically.” “In all my medical training, I have not seen things that I saw [Monday]. Everything was traumatic,” Shah said.
During the healthcare debate over the last 5 years, we have seen our citizens and politicians take physicians and their abilities for granted. We need to go back to a time when doctors were looked at as critical components of our society, and not just a commodity.
Dr. Shah was one of numerous doctors who stayed on scene to help the wounded, there were of course others who did the same, but none of them had the medical training that physicians like Dr. Shah have had.
When you look at the pictures and videos of yesterday’s tragic event, remember that there were numerous physicians and healthcare professionals who stayed behind to help the wounded. We are proud to be working with folks like Dr. Shah.
