Medical draft plans updated

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Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:20:24 EDT

Subject:Fwd: NEWS- Medical draft plans updated

 

 

Medical draft plans updated

 

U.S. hired contractor to work on details

 

BY ROBERT PEAR

 

New York Times

Posted on Tue, Oct. 19, 2004

 

WASHINGTON †" The Selective Service has been updating its

contingency plans for a draft of doctors, nurses and other health care

workers in case of a national emergency that overwhelmed the

military's medical corps.

 

In a confidential report this summer, a contractor hired by the

agency described how such a draft might work, how to secure compliance

and how to mold public opinion and communicate with health care

professionals whose lives could be disrupted.

 

On the one hand, the report said, the Selective Service System

should establish contacts in advance with medical societies,

hospitals, medical and nursing schools, managed care organizations,

rural health care providers, and the editors of medical journals and

trade publications.

 

On the other hand, it said, such contacts must be limited, low key

and discreet because " overtures from Selective Service to the medical

community will be seen as precursors to a draft, " and that could alarm

the public.

 

In this election year, the report said, " very few ideas or

activities are viewed without some degree of cynicism. "

 

President Bush has flatly declared that there will be no draft,

but Sen. John Kerry has suggested that this is a possibility if Bush

is re-elected.

 

Richard Flahavan, a Selective Service System spokesman, said

Monday: " We have been routinely updating the entire plan for a health

care draft. The plan is on the shelf and will remain there unless

Congress and the president decide that it's needed and direct us to

carry it out. "

 

The Selective Service does not decide whether a draft will occur.

It would carry out the mechanics only if the president and Congress

authorized a draft.

 

The chief Pentagon spokesman, Lawrence Di Rita, said Monday: " It

is the policy of this administration to oppose a military draft for

any purpose whatsoever. "

 

In 1987, Congress enacted a law requiring the Selective Service to

develop a plan for " registration and classification " of health care

professionals essential to the armed forces.

 

Under the plan, Flahavan said, about 3.4 million male and female

health care workers ages 18 to 44 would be expected to register with

the Selective Service. From this pool, he said, the agency could

select tens of thousands of health care professionals practicing in 62

health care specialties.

 

The contractor hired by Selective Service, Widmeyer

Communications, said local government operations would be affected by

a call-up of emergency medical technicians.

 

Consequently, it advised the Selective Service to contact groups

like the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of

Counties.

 

Doctors and nurses would be eligible for deferments if they could

show that they were providing essential health care services to

civilians in their communities.