Limited medical care in an autonomous colony
Limited Medical Care is inevitable due to the limited industrial performance of a Martian autonomous colony. Compared with Earth the colonists on Mars will have to face certain constraints. The constraints are even harder than in a semi-autonomous colony. High sophisticated accessories for surgery and a great variety of drugs are impossible to produce in-situ and will, therefore, not be available in medium-term x ray technician
.
Diagnostics
Hi-tech machinery (e.g. MRT) can only be produced with a large industry behind. The following diagnostics are simple enough to be produced with reasonable effort:
- optical microscope
- x-ray
Surgery
Some simple surgery medical assistant schools
(e.g. appendix resection) can be done with lo-tech surgical instruments, such as scalpel and suturation ultrasound technician training
.
Needed pharmaceuticals
This paragraph shall list needed drugs that can be produced on Mars with a reasonable effort licensed practical nurse
.
- Disinfectants: (to be completed)
- Pain relievers: (to be completed)
- Antibiotics: (to be completed)
Precautions
The first settlers will be selected to be strong and fit. Even genetical screenings might be helpful to ensure best health, having a lasting effect on subsequent generations. This is a delicate issue, because this could be understood as a step in breeding of a new human race Medical Billing and Coding
. However, the selection will not be continued for subsequent generations, so it is not deliberate breeding at all. With every generation the effect decreases. After all this is only a help for the start-up of the colony. Other long term solutions are needed anyway veterinary technician
.
Open issues
- What drugs are mandatory needed?
- What drugs can be produced on Mars with a reasonable effort?
- What social implications derive from the limited medical care?
- What genetical defects can be detected by today's screenings?