While Covid-19 temporary ground every day life to a halt – with millions and millions of people worldwide under lockdown orders, working from home, and staying in their homes, illnesses don’t take a holiday. While all of us were trying to stay out of emergency rooms, doctor’s offices and away from the hospital – we can’t put our lives and our health on hold indefinitely.
You still need care.
People still get sick, even in a pandemic. People still need care, even as Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. As the founder of American Physicians Network, I have felt the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But as an actively practicing clinician in the hospital, the impact has been more profound. For every case of Covid, there is another person who had to put off their heart surgery, or delayed seeking treatment for their debilitating knee pain. Surgeries put on hold, means that lives are put on hold.
The economic impact of Covid-19
For some people, this crisis has hit even harder – with historic and unprecedented job losses, even more people in the United States have lost their health insurance at a time when they can least afford it. Cancers go undiagnosed due to a lack of insurance, and upheaval from the pandemic. Expensive but necessary tests aren’t scheduled, biopsies aren’t done and questions go unanswered. Even worse, these cancers and other serious medical conditions are going untreated. Slowly, life is beginning again – even as we adjust to a “new normal.”
What does medical travel look like now? Is it safe? Are doctors operating? What are the hospitals like right now?
For this reason, now that international flights are resuming, APN is going to be traveling to our partner sites this November and December, to check-in, assess the situation and make recommendations for our clients going forward.
Life looks very different today, than it did when we started this company, but our mission remains the same; to help people. That may look different late 2020 (and beyond) than what we are used to – but we are still here to help.
We will post updates from our regional office in South America next month.
Kristin Eckland
Executive Director
American Physicians Network