No ‘non-essential’ medical services for now

I was quite dismayed seeing that the Florida Medical Association is pushing Gov. Ron DeSantis to lift the executive order and allow “non-essential elective medical procedures.” That phrase says it all — they are non-essential and will continue to be non-essential.

Despite the FMA’s comments, patients with acute illnesses and exacerbations of chronic illnesses are still being evaluated and treated. There is no evidence so far that there is an increase in emergencies or morbidity due to delays in treatment. To say that a joint replacement is an urgent procedure when many patients wait up to six months to even see the surgeon is a fallacy.

The FMA states DeSantis’s original order served its purpose to conserve medical supplies. Obviously, the FMA has not tried to order any PPE recently or has been the victim of the horrendous PPE price-gouging.

Scientific and medical experts have advised there should be several criteria met before a reopening occurs. First, a significant, prolonged decrease in the number of cases. Adequate testing that is readily available with quick results needs to be in place. Also, we need a proper system to be able to find exposed contacts and isolate them.

For years our healthcare system has accepted an overutilization of services and perhaps this pandemic may actually curtail it. Perhaps the FMA should have requested that only essential elective medical procedures be permitted.

John F. Rubin, M.D., Boca Raton