In today’s chapter of Virgis, the battle to round up the refugees ensues. When the dust settles, many people lay injured in the dirt. They have medics to help them, but emergency medical providers are only trained to do so much. They’re great at stabilizing patients and taking them to receive a higher level of medical attention.

I’ve done a lot of interviews with medics, been certified as an Emergency Medical Technician, read many books, and learned aspects of herbal healing. Still, all of this training makes little difference in many medical situations. When things get dire, the obvious answer is to take the sick or injured individual to a doctor or qualified medical professional.

Many people today are preparing for a societal collapse. They have prepared food, water, and emergency kits, but medical supplies are often overlooked or greatly understocked. If medical supplies are a part of the long-term supplies, the stockpile usually includes a surgery kit. There is no way I’m letting my husband cut me open while looking at a survival manual.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t read the manuals, take as many classes as possible, and practice medical skills. You should definitely stock as many medical supplies as possible. A standard first aid kit is not going to go cut it. I always refer to Dr. Bones’s example of pouring a soda on the ground and trying to sop it up with gauze. Bodies can lose a lot of blood quickly. You are going to need all the bandages you can get. Often institutions that supply medical care will have to get rid of products when they go past the expiration date. This is a great place to score cheap supplies. Also, save your old sheets. They make great bandages.

Stock your meds, especially if you are on prescription medication, have severe allergies, etc. Stock antibiotics. An American company called Jase Case is making sure people have access to antibiotics that can be packed away for a rainy day. Find them at Jasecase.com and use the promo code PBN to save money and support the PBN network.

If you have infections and get any kind of eye drops or infection-fighting creams, save the leftovers and get any refills you are given. Bacterial infections like pink eye are more prevalent when hygiene is not strictly maintained. Having the drops to heal it would be worth more than gold in a collapse scenario. Remember that most prescription drugs are still good beyond their expiration date. Pills last longer than liquids, and the older they will become less potent as they get older. Learn how to accomplish the same effect as the drugs you may need with herbs. You could easily make the same eyewash with plants you can forage.

Even if you do everything I listed, you need a doctor, nurse, or trained medical professional in your survival community. Keep in mind that in a grid-down scenario, the skills of those professionals will be diminished without access to modern testing equipment. However, I would trust that individual with that surgery knife much more than someone who is internet trained. Find someone who you trust.

Start preparing to help them if they need you. Less than a third of America is preparing for the coming collapse. These medical professionals might need food and shelter and would happily barter their skills. You should start planning for this exchange now. Stock more medical supplies to ensure they have access to the tools they need to do the job they are trained for. This person can also help cross-train others to be medical providers, but a medical emergency could be devastating without them.