The work of a doctor in the catastrophe: anonymous testimony after the earthquakes in Mexico

The following is the anonymous testimony of a professional living in Mexico City who was directly affected by the earthquake on September 19. How to work in the middle of tragedy, professional responsibility and what feelings a doctor is going through in situations like this.

“While we still had not recovered from the earthquake that hit us on September 7^th, which affected mainly the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, and after an evacuation drill in memoriam of the 1995 earthquake, we were surprised by a new temblor whose epicenter was located in the nearby state of Puebla. Mexico City was, once again, afflicted by the loss of lives and material goods caused by the earthquake that took place on September 19^th, at 1 p. m. It was completely unexpected and, once again, deadly. Those seconds of pure terror seemed eternal; their consequences are still unknown. Work in our centers was interrupted. Some of us were able to evacuate our institutions in an orderly manner; others simply were not. When we looked back, everything had changed: from cracks in floors and walls, destroyed pipelines, water and gas leaks, cracks in roads and highways, to the collapse of houses and educational institutions. Our savings and family equity were lost, but most of all we lost the lives of loved ones.

The damage was done, it was time to get to work. As physicians, people expect us to give our all. We are required to leave aside our specialist status (as interventional cardiologists) to serve people in distress; to cure all injuries, great and small; to bring agonizing children and adults back to life, or to feel impotent while seeing life leave our most seriously injured patients. Great hospitals were evacuated (as a preventive measure, rather than due to structural damage), while other institutions opened their doors to the injured. Likewise, anonymous heroes, specialized brigades, or generous volunteers, neighbors, friends, and families devoted themselves tirelessly to the recovery, whether dead or alive, of those who were not able to timely leave the now ruined buildings. Day or night, in the cold or in hot weather, under the rain or the sun, there were minutes, hours, and days of uninterrupted extreme work.

Mexico as a whole, trying to help. How can we do that? From storage warehouses, shipments of water and food, medicine, clothes, everything survivors need, to specialized equipment and tools to help rescue victims. Foreign disaster brigades coming to our aid. All together, working tirelessly. Why not? Mexico is a great country.

The hardest part is yet to come. There are three phases: Crisis, consequences, and the hardest —sadness for our losses and the need to rebuild our homes and heal. The inhabitants of our city are now better prepared to face a natural disaster of these proportions, but we will never be ready to witness the suffering of our most affected brothers and sisters.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for the solidarity of our Latin American brothers and sisters; those who are as upset as we are and want to see us move forward in the face of adversity. Thank you. We will pull through. Viva Mexico! Viva Latin America!”

Anonymus testimony – Mexico City.

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