Philadelphia's Medical Community Preparing For Pope's Visit
By Kim Glovas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Philadelphia Medical Community is preparing for the Papal visit along with everyone else.
Doctor Michael DellaVecchia, president of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, says hospitals routinely carry out exercises in the event of a disaster, or when a high profile dignitary comes to town:
"We are always going through a process of alerts and a process of rehearsals and drills."
But he says with the Pope coming to town, and another million and a half visitors, it's time to raise the bar, and that includes having staff ready for the unexpected:
"Our personnel will be available and readily accessible, and a lot of them where there is an alert, will be staying at the hospital until the alert is over."
DellaVecchia says each hospital has more staff ready to work long hours, and each facility also has it's own emergency plan in place to deal with whatever situation arises.
