Practical Hospital Disaster Planning

Considering the importance of emergency medical practice as a therapeutic specialty taking into account our country’s being the fourth Asian country in regard to frequency of Natural disasters and 10th country in the world, an emergency reaction program has been prepared and executed in one of referral hospitals in Tehran. In the current study a formerly prepared procedure used in European hospitals is taken as the base on which the study is conducted. The modes are then modified as dictated by climatic, cultural and clinical conditions of Iran. An aerial map of Imam Hossein Hospital is used to depict the positions of field units and command centers when it’s partially dilapidated. Necessary training based on this procedure was provided to the staff and the program was followed to the practice phase and a maneuver was then conducted. The program should be prepared in such a way to constitute immediate establishment of crisis committee comprised of: 1) head of the hospital, 2) Para clinic unit (including laboratory, Radiology and blook bank), 3) nursing unit (triage, coordination), 4) guarding unit and sentinels, 5) dispatching and discharging unit, 6) psychiatric and social work unit, 7) freezers and refrigeration unit, 8) emergency evacuation unit, 9) installations and maintenance unit, 10) logistics and transport unit, 11) communication unit, 12) public relations and media unit, 13) reception unit, 14) bio Nucleuchemical unit, 15) specialized units Each unit is headed by a director for whom 3 surrogates should be designated who would immediately take the director’s place if and when necessary. After preparing such plan extensive and comprehensive training should be given to hospital staff or whoever which would be engaged in such reaction. Eventually the readiness of the staff should be evaluated through simulated situations and maneuvers. It’s hoped that god willing we could reduce losses caused by Natural disasters in the future.