In any medical preparedness program for national disaster, the development of allied medical personnel is a highly important consideration. If, as has been stated, a thermonuclear attack on the United States would involve millions of casualties and if the medical personnel itself will be decimated, it is obvious that there would not be enough duly qualified medical practitioners to meet this colossal task. It has long been recognized that there is an imperative need to develop and train all allied and paramedical personnel to assist physicians in the care of the injured in a major disaster.
This premise has been recognized and approved by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization and by leaders in medical civil defense, many of whom are participating in this conference. But, as yet, organized medicine has made no official statement to sanction or support such allied professional training.
This question has been raised by