Mass casualty situations are an unfortunate reality of wars, conflicts, and natural disasters; preparedness for these scenarios is critical in saving lives. Yesterday, dozens of medical and support staff participated in a mass casualty drill at Rambam Healthcare Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel.
The mass casualty drill at Rambam’s ER with volunteers acting as 'patients'. Photography: RHCC.
As the ongoing war entered its 46th day, Rambam’s medical staff from the hospital’s Emergency Section and the Trauma Section participated in a mass casualty drill within the Green-Wagner Department of Emergency Medicine. During the drill, emergency teams were trained to respond to a direct missile attack on a city building, transport of the injured to Rambam, concomitant to a missile hitting one of the hospital departments.
This precision exercise focused on efficiently transferring the wounded to Rambam’s ER from more than one location with simultaneous and accurate synchronization of the transfer of regular ER patients to other hospital departments making way and space for the injured. Doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, medics, Rambam’s medical imaging division personnel, social workers, security guards, and other hospital staff participated in the drill.
In the simulated scenario, soldiers doing their national service along with IDF reservists, acted as wounded patients while the hospital’s real-time staff offered immediate, emergency treatment.
Yesterday’s successful drill in the ER was a crucial exercise in preparing the hospital’s multi-disciplinary staff for a real-life situation.
