Medical Support via Winlink

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You find yourself in the middle of the ocean and want to consult a Medical Doctor, or a Vet, for your pet?

Rest assured, a specialised team is available to you, all hams, all with experience in blue water sailing:

1. KA6PKB - Dr. Robert (Bob) Austin. E-Mail: thataway@aol.com. Also available on SSB Radio for voice consultation.

- Bob's specialty is Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Sports medicine.

2. N7RHH - Dr. Michael H. Morrell. E-Mail: n7rhh@winlink.org. Radio : N7RHH (for WL2K users)

- Mike is an orthopaedic surgeon, sailing s/v 'Serenity', now in the Mediterranean.

3. NX2T - Charles L. Starke MD, FACP. E-Mail: starke@cloud9.net or cstarke@alumni.princeton.edu. Homepage: www.drstarke.com

Office phone: 914-762-4460; Ofice fax: 914-762-4478. Captain: s/y Dawnpiper, Trintella 45, built 1985.

- Charles is an internist (specialist in adult diseases with a lot of emergency experience including ship's doctor on 14 cruise ships, including two trips to Antarctica. He is associated with International SOS. He holds a 100 ton Captain's license (sail and power), able seamen under sail, and enjoys ocean sailing and has taken part in numerous races and ocean cruises.

4. OE4RYC - Dr. Rudolf Wendrinsky. Radio: OE4RYC @ OE4XBU.AUT.EU. E-Mail: oe4ryc@aon.at

- Rudi is an orthopedic surgeon in a hospital in Austria. He is SysOp of one of the major WL2K MBO's in Europe, enjoys sailing on a lake near his home and in the Med. during the summer holidays.

5. W5AA - Dr. Richard J. Brown. E-Mail: rjbro@bellsouth.net

- Dick is a doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Board certified in pathology. Also a USAF pilot as well as veterinarian, C-119 and C-130 Clinician for the Chipanzees that the USAF and NASA put in space. Worked in aviation/space medicine and tropical medicine in Florida, Taipei and Jakarta. Belongs to a club which owns a sail boat used for charters out of Quepos, Costa Rica.

You can contact any of the four MD.'s listed above, all of whom have general medical qualification as well as a speciality.

Direct your request for medical assistance to either the listed E-Mail Address, using the Radio-EMail service, or to the Radio Address. Make the subject line 'Medical' or 'Urgent Medical'.

State in your message: sex of the patient, age, temperature, pulse and complaints/symptoms, as detailed as possible. Also indicate the type of International Medical Chest (onboard), if any.

The land-based physicians may well consult colleagues to get the full spectrum of opinions and ideas.

This service is free of charge and messages will be treated with the highest possible confidentiality.

Disclaimers: Each of the physicians provides advice as a public service and "good Samaritan" and they accept no liability for the outcome of any advice given. ZS5S accepts no liability or responsibility for the accuracy of information passed between users.

Bon Voyage and 73,

Joost, ZS5S (ex PA0LO/MM)

UNQUOTE

These valuable contacts are much like the life rafts or EPIRBs that cruisers take along on a cruise. It is hoped that one never has to use them but, like the above access to medical advice, it is reassuring to know that they are available in an emergency.

For the benefit of the Regulators and the Amateur Radio Service in Australia, it should be understood that such services can be provided only via Winlink and than only because of its ability to forward emergency messages via the Internet directly to the medicos.

Until such time that a number of Winlink PMBOs are established in Australia, the probability of Australian and international cruisers and other travelers in remote locations in the South Pacific accessing this medical support is remote, that is, unless one of the two Winlink PMBOs in New Zealand can be reached.

AussieWinlink