I am also an AME and a radiation oncologist. While doctors may be considered “essential business,” I am experiencing remarkable interpretations of what services are considered “essential.” The governor issued an order last week stating the following: Physicians should postpone elective and non-urgent procedures and office visits immediately. This action will help the healthcare system preserve resources and personnel necessary to meet emerging health needs. "
Some institutions have decided that cancer diagnostic and screening procedures are “elective.” Yale University has issued a statement that states it doesn’t consider cancer surgery “elective.” The collateral fall out from some of this will be long felt.
When the president touted tele-medicine, I was hopeful, if not for new medicals, then for those who we knew and could help. Not so, the FAA sent a specific email stating specifically telemedicine is unacceptable and requires a face to face, hands on medical evaluation. If it is acceptable for my much sicker medicare cancer patients, it should be reasonable for the FAA to at least consider extending medicals for a few months until this situation settles out.
These are the rules. The old Chinese curse has come true: “May you live in interesting times.”