TV doctor verdict on government advice to stockpile 9 items - list

TV doctor verdict on government advice to stockpile 9 items - list Dr Amir Khan spoke out after UK residents warned by Defence Secretary to make plans for serious problems A TV doctor has given his verdict on a government campaign which is urging people to stockpile 9 items in case of serious problems hitting the UK. Later this year officials will start efforts to encourage people to make sure they have key items including things like tinned food, batteries, first aid and bottled water. The nation has faced serious issues in recent months including droughts and heatwaves, with other likely problems including power issues such as blackouts, and even potentially even hybrid attacks from foreign states. There are also serious issues with oil currently as the Saudi main company halts some deliveries to Europe after attacks on key pipelines, and with the Middle East conflict severely hampering tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz potentially causing supply issues this winter. Dr Amir Khan, who is an NHS GP and regularly appears on ITV shows Lorraine and This Morning said he was ‘tired’ of the news. He said in a video on Instagram: “I’m getting really tired of being told that we all need to get ready for war. Like, get your emergency food in, get your supplies, become more resilient, prepare yourself mentally for war. “What the hell? Why aren’t we putting this much energy in getting ready for peace? Of course, I know our governments have to prepare for things we hope will never happen, right? But I really don’t like this idea that war is somehow inevitable and the ordinary person’s job is simply to prepare themselves for it by getting a can of chickpeas in. “Have you met ordinary people recently? We are exhausted. Like food costs so much, housing costs so much, energy costs so much, people are working incredibly hard and still struggling and now apparently we need to become resilient enough for war as well.” Instead Dr Khan has a different plan: “I don’t want to be war ready. I want to be peace-ready. I’m a lover, not a fighter. And perhaps that starts with doing the exact opposite of what so much of modern life encourages us to do, right? We need to stop retreating into smaller and smaller tribes. We need to get to know our neighbours. Talk to somebody who doesn’t look like You join something locally, help somebody, bake a cake and take half of it next door, feed some wildlife, plant something, stroke a cat or a dog if you prefer, check on the person down the street who lives alone. Because I don’t think resilience should mean I’ve got enough of these things in my cupboard to look after myself. “Real resilience is knowing that if something terrible happens, we will all look after each other.” Last week Defence Secretary Wes Streeting issued an urgent warning urging people to stockpile 9 essential items, cautioning that emergencies can strike at any moment. The UK Government this summer said it will soon publish a key plan over resilience and how the country will cope with major problems. Here’s everything else you might require: - A battery or wind-up torch - torches are safer than candles. A portable power bank for charging your mobile phone. - A battery or wind-up radio to receive updates during a power outage - a car radio can be utilised, however, in severe weather it might be safer to stay indoors. - Spare batteries for torches and radios and a backup battery for any medical equipment you depend on. - A first aid kit (or some first aid supplies) including items such as waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings and gloves, medical tape for dressings, and tweezers. - Hand sanitiser and wet wipes for hygiene purposes when the water supply is disrupted. - Bottled water - there is no standard quantity for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people consume different amounts. The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be required for preparing baby formula, for medical devices, and for pets. - Non-perishable food that doesn’t require cooking, like ready-to-eat tinned meat, fruit or vegetables (and a tin opener). As with water, the quantity you need will depend on your personal circumstances. - Don’t overlook food for pets. - Baby essentials such as nappies and baby formula - ready made or ready-to-feed formula is ideal as you may not have the ability to boil water or sterilise bottles. In a statement earlier this year Darren Jones Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations announced the key Resilience Action Plan sayin it was needed as: “Conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine have exposed the vulnerabilities in global energy supply chains and driven up energy prices, and the increasing sophistication and proliferation of artificial intelligence not only brings huge opportunities, but threats too if it is weaponised by criminals against us. This could include novel ways of developing or carrying out hostile cyber-attacks against businesses and our critical infrastructure. “As we saw with temperatures across the UK breaking records in May, only to be exceeded again in June, the risks we face from climate change cannot be underestimated, from our infrastructure, food and water systems or people’s immediate health. Climate change is also exacerbating the spread of high-consequence infectious diseases, alongside the changing boundaries of the human-animal interface.” The government is set to launch a national resilience public awareness campaign later this year, in order to inform the public of the small but important steps they can take to be prepared in case of emergencies and disruption – ‘be that severe weather or a cyber attack which can impact access to power, water, phone signal or local shops to get food’. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said last week: “I think we do need to have a national conversation about our resilience as a country and our preparedness. And before we turn to that scenario you described of an event where this country is under attack, I would actually say let’s think about resilience today. We’ve just had a summer of wildfires across the country. “Lots of communities across the UK will be looking to winter with trepidation about extremely cold weather or flood. And I’d ask people watching actually on a really practical level, in the event you have a power cut, would you know where you keep a torch? Have you even got matches or candles?”