Page 20 - LRCC July 2020 Focus

ECONOMIC CLUB

Medical Society President

Says Public Health and

Business Should Work

Together to Restart

Michigan’s Economy

THE PRESIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN STATE
MEDICAL SOCIETY (MSMS) told the Lansing
Economic Club on May 26 that public health
and small business need to work together to
successfully relaunch Michigan’s economy
coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. S.
Bobby Mukkamala, MD made his remarks
during the first virtual gathering of the Lansing
Economic Club, which was attended by nearly
250 people.

Dr. Mukkamala said that the public health and
business communities have often been pitted Mukkamala
against each other when discussing public
policy particularly in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Mukkamala, a
head and neck surgeon who lives in downtown Flint says he speaks not
only as a doctor but as a business professional who owns a medical practice,
several restaurants, and a clothing store. One of those businesses, a brewery
in downtown Flint opened one week before the COVID-19 outbreak forced
the state’s first Executive Order in March. He understands the economic
impact COVID-19 has had on his businesses and the employees who work
there. He says smart collaboration between public health and business will
ensure a smart reopening of the economy that can be sustained.

“The biggest fear is going back to business as usual,” said Dr. Mukkamala.
“We need solid public health information so we can reopen in a way that
avoids a second spike in COVID-19.”

Dr. Mukkamala said the four core principles MSMS put forth make good
sense when reopening the economy, which states they should be founded
on evidence-based recommendations; they should be a regional, phased-
in approach with public health input at every level; each region should
see a sustained reduction of at least two weeks in percent positivity and
ambulatory practices and clinics have access to a sufficient supply of PPE
and testing supplies.

“I am optimistic we can do this with effort and diligent commitments,” said
Dr. Mukkamala. “We can emerge from this in a safe way and result in no
unnecessary deaths.” n

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