Use of Veterinarians in Disaster Response

[armyanimaldoc (Mark Chappell)]

Hurricane Helene demonstrated the need to use our national assets to better respond to human and animal health in a disaster situation. Not only did the federal government not provide response as was needed quickly, many animals and people perished in the process or were wounded with injuries or disease that could have been solved if early health response was provided. Veterinarians are multi-hatted and are involved worldwide in one health initiatives. Veterinarians have board certified preventative medicine experts, as well as real world expertise training side by side with their human counterparts and treating injuries. Although there are differences in human and animal anatomy and physiology, treatment of injuries and diseases are similar across spectrum with similar medication‘s and technologies used in the veterinary world as would be used in human health. Currently, it is difficult for veterinarians to cross state lines in an emergency situation and bring critical drug such as opioids to respond to to animal disasters. There is quite a bit of red tape involved. Due to legal issues and many other factors, veterinarians are also not allowed to provide emergency care to humans without the potential for significant consequences although. Veterinarians arguably have more practical experience in critical care management and real time emergency treatment just by the nature of their jobs triaging and treating patients on a day to day basis in theor clinics. The federal government should look at this and create a policy to facilitate the use of non government organizations and veterinarians to quickly go into situations to help save human and animal lives and limbs, and to establish health and prevent disease outbreak.