Just as Galen was getting comfortable with his new medical facility at Jonson Station, Olympia broke the news to him that several remote colonies had already heard about the new doctor and wanted his help with quite a variety of medical issues. Few of these colonies even had medical facilities of their own, so this new situation seemed worrisome.
Galen met with JE staff, and after extended discussion, they agreed that the only way to accommodate these demands would be to take the doctor and his office to them in some mobile fashion. Galileo pointed out that the Explorer already had a sick bay, although it's very spartan compared to the station medical facility. However, even a minimal facility would be better than nothing, and so they decided to upgrade the onboard sick bay, thus transforming the Explorer into a very modest hospital ship, in addition to its other important roles.
Over the next week, Galen worked hard to upgrade the medical equipment, stow medical supplies, and test out the newly upgraded sick bay. Finally satisfied that all was in order, he met with JE staff to review all the pending requests and set priorities focusing on the most critical needs. Although many cases seemed familiar and even mundane, they were quite surprised to discover some unusual challenges.
Minor injuries and routine illnesses seemed to constitute most of the cases, and indeed all the colonies had at least first aid supplies and sufficient connectivity to utilize telemedicine when needed. Since the Explorer often visited various colonies during trips related to mining and other economic activities, it would not be difficult to make the sick bay available to colonists during these trips.
Although most colonists are younger people with minimal medical needs, there are a few old-timers, more likely to suffer multiple health problems. As with the seniors at Jonson Station, Galen could monitor their conditions during routine Explorer visits to their colonies, and perhaps suggest robotic caregivers when practical. However, the complications often typical of advanced old age offer serious challenges that should be addressed back on Earth where more robust geriatric facilities are abundant.
On the other hand, recently some colonies emerged with rather different medical needs. These colonists include women who prefer to produce offspring in the traditional way, and indeed they could provide many arguments about the benefits of this approach. When their pregnancies become obvious, they feel unwelcome back on Earth, so they retreat to special colonies where they find more acceptance among others of like mind. Although they usually have access to midwives and rudimentary medical facilities, more complex gynecological and obstetrical issues can present serious challenges when gestation or delivery problems arise. Moreover, they often lack adequate neonatal and pediatric medical resources. Galen realized that these problems might require specialized assistance, although he could provide at least some help if the women and infants can not (or will not) return to Earth where more sophisticated resources are available.
Future blog entries involving Explorer travel will likely include medically related events, so we'll return to these themes from time to time.
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