Civil defense responsibilities of physicians.

Abstract

At present there may be some doubt as to where the initial responsibility lies for recruiting physicians and allied professional personnel for the vital work of civil defense. There is no question, however, as to where the ultimate responsibility lies, namely, deep down in the conscience of the individual physician. The inescapable civil defense responsibilities of physicians may be classified briefly as follows: (1) to know the special medical problems in connection with special weapons defense; (2) to be thoroughly familiar with the state and local civil defense health services plans and their integration with other civil defense services and to volunteer for the civil defense health services corps or its equivalent; to learn not only one particular civil defense job well but as many other jobs as possible in preparation for the high casualty rate expected among physicians; (3) to engage intensively in the training of allied professional personnel,