Report #4 from BARHC Caravan in New Orleans

But, says BARHC's Dr. Michael Kozart, "public health conditions are so unpredictable." He says they are still seeing dog bites, wounds, and other types of emergencies. Business owners began re-entering dry areas of the city today, and residents are scheduled to start coming back on Monday. The history of past disasters has shown that injury rates typically increase as people get into recovery and rebuilding efforts.

"We anticipate a sharp increase in work volume once the evacuees return to the neighborhood," says Kozart. "So many of them will need medication renewals and all sorts of other services."

Also, as conditions permit, volunteers are trying to branch out to provide medical assistance in other parts of the city and surrounding areas. They have made contact with some remaining residents in the French Quarter and assessed conditions in the 9th Ward. Several of the smaller towns around NOLA still have received little or no outside help. Expansion of the Algiers effort has been hampered, however, by remaining floodwaters, a heavy military and police presence, and a shortage of volunteers.

Two of the BARHC medics left NOLA today, and Kozart - the only physician on site who can write prescriptions - will be departing Monday. Other action medics from the Bay Area and elsewhere (including DC, Connecticut, Canada, and Montana) are still at the clinic and more will be arriving over the next couple weeks.

The volunteers in Algiers are working diligently to move the relief effort into local hands. They have been teaching residents basic medical procedures like how to take blood pressures and read glucose levels. Hopefully, healthcare workers at all levels will be among the returning residents.

But there continues to be a pressing need for primary care providers - especially those who can write prescriptions. Out of more than a dozen hospitals in the greater NOLA area, only a handful are up and running.

Unfortunately, the governor's order allowing out-of-state physicians to prescribe medications in Lousiana is expected to be rescinded before the end of the month (it remains unclear whether this order applies as well to nurse practitioners and physician assistants). Medics on the ground stress that this would pose a serious hardship, and encourage activists - including organizations such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, Doctors Without Borders, and healthcare worker unions - to apply pressure on Louisiana officials to allow out-of-state providers to continue practicing there as long as needed.

Health professionals considering going to New Orleans to lend a hand should contact the LA state board in Baton Rouge at 225-763-5766, 225-763-5770, or 225-763-5751 for the latest status. People can also call the Algiers clinic for updates (504-361-9659), but keep in mind that staffing there is limited.

For more information on the Common Ground clinic, see http://www.commongroundrelief.org.

(Reported by Liz Highleyman in San Francisco for BARHC members in New Orleans and on the road.)