Medical efforts immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami concentrated on management of acute illnesses and traumas. However, victims’ needs quickly evolved from emergency care to management of long-term health issues that were complicated by limited supplies and medicines, lack of previous health records, and a shortage of doctors comfortable managing chronic illnesses.
Based on his experience leading the Japan Primary Care Association’s response to the disaster, Dr. Yukishige Ishibashi will speak about lessons learned, especially the value of multidisciplinary collaboration for disaster victims and the implications for disaster preparedness. Specifically, he will emphasize continuity, permanency, and respect for the local people and their culture, as well as rights to health care and differential impacts on vulnerable populations.
Yukishige Ishibashi,MD, Director, Ishibashi Clinic; Director, Japanese Primary Care Association is a practicing family physician, national leader in organized family medicine, and community faculty member for multiple institutions in Japan. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in March, 2011, he led the Japan Primary Care Association relief response. He has authored numerous primary care articles and books.
