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Around the world, people watched, transfixed, as the threesome of disasters struck Japan March 11: first an earthquake, followed by a tsunami and then the threat of radiation leaks after a nuclear plant was disastrously damaged. For Alisa Suzuki Han, MD, an interventional radiologist at BWH, the disasters struck a chord on a personal level.
Suzuki Han, who completed her medical training at Shonan Kamakura Hospital, in Tokyo, Japan, part of the Tokushukai Hospital Group, received a request from the hospital’s disaster relief team, the Tokushukai Medical Aid Team, for potassium iodide tablets. Potassium iodide is recommended by health officials to prevent thyroid cancer for those exposed to airborne radioactive iodine in the event of a nuclear reactor accident.
Suzuki Han and her husband, Roger Han, MD, of the Radiology Department, quickly found out that the tablets are in short supply, even in the U.S. However, just two days after the earthquake and tsunami, they located a company, Nukepills.com, which offered to donate 50,000 potassium iodide tablets.
The Hans received the donation March 16 and immediately packaged the tablets for shipment to Japan.
“The tablets we sent will be distributed to the Tokushukai medical aid team as well as other medical response personnel, enabling them to disperse their own supply of potassium iodide tablets to the communities they are helping,” said Suzuki Han.
In addition to sending the tablets to Japan, the Hans are also sending several shipments of hazmat suits to the Tokushukai Medical Aid Team. BWH’s Center for Emergency Preparedness donated 20 hazmat suits to the cause, and the Hans are also planning to purchase more suits with their own funding.
Elsewhere in the BWH community, employees and staff are responding to the tragedy in Japan.
Visiting researcher Saeko Takahashi, MD, Alisa Suzuki Han, MD, and Roger Han, MD, prepare a shipment of 50,000 potassium iodide tablets to send to Japan.
Chaplaincy Services hosted a ceremony, “Service of Solidarity with the People of Japan,” March 16 in the Bornstein Amphitheater. The nearly 50 BWHers in attendance heard readings from the Jewish, Buddhist and Christian traditions, and guests also watched a presentation that focused on messages from people around the world bringing healing and hope to the country.
“The service for Japan was one of the many ways the BWH community comes together during difficult times,” said Kathleen Gallivan, PhD, SND, director of Chaplaincy Services. “Perhaps most telling was the fact that we had several people there from BWH’s Haitian community, which was their way of saying ‘you were with us, now we are here with you.’”
Guests were also encouraged to sign a prayer board, which will be in the Chapel throughout the week. Patients and employees are invited to come into the Chapel throughout the week and write messages.
In addition, the Employee Assistance Program has gathered up-to-date information and resources to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami, including a list of free telephone services, a list of messaging services for connecting with friends and family in Japan and the finding out the latest news out of Japan, as well as fact sheets on talking with children about upsetting news events, suggestions for managers and personal coping tips. For a complete list of resources, visit the Partners EAP home page at www.eap.partners.org or call 617-732-6017.