Ford Vox, a physician-journalist specializing in rehabilitation medicine, warned that the ban implemented by US President Donald Trump against seven majority-Muslim countries will take a detrimental impact on the country’s American health care. He said that the said travel ban is a “blunt instrument that's already wreaking havoc,“ and the impact is already “being disproportionately felt” throughout the country’s health care system. The travel ban was implemented because the Trump administration wants to emphasize that it is prohibiting a "small percentage" of foreign travelers from entering or leaving the U.S. However, local hospitals have always relied on a “steady influx” of international physicians to keep the health care system running.
Vox also underlined that throughout his medical career, he has benefitted from working and collaborating with medical graduates from different countries. He even claimed that he was able to establish professional relationships with Canadians, Iranians, Russians, Israelis, Saudis, Canadians, Israelis, and Italians whom he has worked with in various medical centers located in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Vox also explained that he was able to analyze and study different medical systems and approaches in managing several health conditions, not to mention enjoying their camaraderie.
CNN reports that President Trump's new order succeeded despite the failed interventions of two federal courts. This means that if someone from the seven majority-Muslim countries went abroad regardless of reason, she is in danger of being locked out until such ban is suspended. Furthermore, Vox also said that their training hospitals only comprised 18,668 American medical graduates out of the 27,860, which means that international physicians permeate the entire medical system.
According to Voxcs, Trump’s ban will affect more than 500,000 green card holders. About 30% of American transplant surgeons began their careers in medical schools abroad. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that their country will have a shortage of up to 94,700 doctors by 2025. Online network sharing service AirBnB offered free accommodation to all victims of Trump’s immigration ban.
