Forging compromiso after the storm: activism as ethics of care among health care workers in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Puerto Rico was hit by a category 4 hurricane that severely damaged power, water, and communications systems on the 20 th of September 2017. Based on 56 qualitative interviews, this article documents how health care workers created a new ethics of care after Hurricane Maria and engaged in novel forms of health activism to both repair past damage and imagine a different future. Many doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals went to work after the storm treating patients, fixing their workplaces, and resolving logistical problems. Health care workers responded emotionally to the event by finding meaning and purpose in their work, forging a sense of solidarity, and valuing their ability to help others. Our respondents used the term compromiso to describe their determination and sense of purpose, and we borrow this term to label the specific ethics of care generated from their experiences after Maria.

Impact of Seismic Activity on Access to Health Care in Hispanic/Latino Cancer Patients from Puerto Rico

“…During the seismic activity aftermath, there were services available through mobile clinic units, and cancer patients were transferred to clinics and hospitals outside of the earthquake’s impact area, such as nearby municipalities that were less or unaffected. Likewise, community-based organizations (e.g., the American Cancer Society–Puerto Rico) and other community clinics from different parts of Puerto Rico responded by attending to basic care needs [ 27 , 28 ]. Notwithstanding these limitations reported, the study team decided to conduct these analyses, as they provide important information about the access to health care during a natural disaster that must be addressed.…”

How Is Colonialism a Sociostructural Determinant of Health in Puerto Rico?

“…Public health infrastructure in Puerto Rico has significantly worsened because of socioeconomic and political decisions and the passage of PROMESA, which exacerbated health inequities in the archipelago. 47 However, public health governance could be improved through the application of a reparative social justice model and international human rights frameworks and standards. Furthermore, one way decolonization could be pursued would be through the reinstatement of Puerto Rico on the United Nations' list of non-self-governing territories in need of decolonization.…”