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MRC Responder: Marie Mesaros, M.D.

I have just returned from 2 weeks doing medical care in Gulfport, MS, and environs. I am an anesthesiologist with previous surgical training and third-world missionary medical experience. With a team of about 12 nurses and doctors from Maricopa (Arizona) chapter of MRC (Grand Canyon MRC chapter), we delivered medical care in Gulfport, MS, at Nevada 1, a field-tent hospital set up in a strip mall under the auspices of United States Public Health Service (USPHS). The other medical providers there were USPHS physicians, nurses, EMT medics, and nurse practitioners. The field-tent hospital was well equipped with code carts, EKG capability, and plenty of supplies and medications. Laboratory testing (only urine pregnancy test and urine dipstick) was limited.

We saw "walk-in" patients and patients delivered by ambulance with various medical problems, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, lung problems exacerbated by the humid weather, rashes, gashes, sore throats, infected wounds, etc. I served as an emergency room (ER) physician with the USPHS doctors. There was no capability for surgery at this unit. The only anesthesia I administered was the local anesthetic I used before suturing lacerations. Gulfport Hospital was functioning and handled the complicated cases. At Nevada 1, there were medical wards for patients needing prolonged care.

The day after our arrival, Hurricane Rita flooded our hospital. Because of this and tornado warnings, we closed the hospital, and we were evacuated to the nearby Naval Base, SeaBee, in Gulfport. Some of our personnel administered tetanus shots there. I saw patients in the small medical clinic. During this time, as evacuees, we were housed in a huge warehouse along with the relief volunteers, American Red Cross workers, firefighters, and others. There were folks of all ages, young and old, from all over the country. It made me proud to be an American to see so many come to help.

We returned back to Nevada-1 the next day, resuming the ER work. Two days later, I was sent to Hancock Field Hospital, which is about 27 miles west of Gulfport, in Bay Saint Louis. This unit had an operating room, and here I would be able to provide anesthesia.

This was another field-tent hospital set up by the Air National Guard from various states on the grounds of the non-functioning Hancock Regional Hospital. This was a more extensive setting, with an Operating Room, x-ray capability, and extensive laboratory testing. There was an ICU and several wards. Because there were not many operations, I functioned as an ER physician and ward doctor along with the Air National Guard physicians. I was impressed with the anesthesia equipment (it was state-of-the-art), the availability of medications, and rapidity of the x-ray and laboratory results. There was an extensive ANG cadre of x-ray technicians, laboratory technicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physicians, and nurses. There also was an optometrist and a veterinarian.

The patients that we saw here were sicker than I saw at Nevada 1, some requiring ambulance transfer to Gulfport Hospital for cardiac catheterization, coronary artery stint placement, and emergency surgery for entopic pregnancy.

Every patient I saw humbled me by their courage, resiliency, graciousness, and gratitude. These were often people who lived in shelters, having lost literally everything. The devastation we saw from the coast to miles inland was incredible; there were miles of splintered trees, houses, buildings, schools, churches, steel structures bent such as the railroad tracks. This area had received little media press, and I had not anticipated this.

As I look over my photos, I find that they do not do justice to the wreckage and devastation I had seen while there. One had to go through the miles of the devastated landscape to see, feel, and absorb the enormity of this.

I feel privileged and honored to have been called to serve as a volunteer. The area of Waveland and Bay Saint Louis were in the eye of the hurricane. As I was leaving, there were back roads being cleaned of debris. People who had not been able to get out were now able to do so, and help could come to them. Utility trucks could now enter those areas for repairs. People were hopeful and wanted to rebuild homes, businesses, schools, and churches. Hancock Hospital had just started to set up trailers and was planning to open emergency and walk-in services by the end of October. The hospital had been flooded by several feet of contaminated water. All equipment was taken out of the hospital, so it will be some time before the hospital itself is fully up and running.

I visited Gulfport Hospital, to which I sent a number of severely ill patients. It had been functioning during Hurricane Katrina, suffered some broken windows, closed down some patient wards, but functioned well, delivering emergency care, surgery, and acute care.

There will be a need for rebuilding for some time yet. If I can help further, please don't hesitate to call upon me.

Last Updated on 5/26/2006