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Prehospital Care of Tsunami Victims in Thailand: Description and Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Dagan Schwartz ,
Avishay Goldberg ,
Issac Ashkenasi ,
Guy Nakash ,
Rami Pelts ,
Adi Leiba ,
Yeheskel Levi  and
Yaron Bar-Dayan
Dagan Schwartz
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Avishay Goldberg
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Issac Ashkenasi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel Medical Services and Supply Center, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps IDF Medical Corps, Surgeon General Headquarters
Guy Nakash
Affiliation:
IDF Home Front Command
Rami Pelts
Affiliation:
IDF Home Front Command
Adi Leiba
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel IDF Home Front Command
Yeheskel Levi
Affiliation:
IDF Medical Corps, Surgeon General Headquarters
Yaron Bar-Dayan*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel IDF Home Front Command
*
Col. Dr. Y. Bar-Dayan Chief Medical Officer, IDF Home Front Command, 16 Dolev St. Neve Savion, Or-Yehuda, ISRAEL E-mail: bardayan@netvision.net.il
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Abstract

Introduction:

On 26 December 2004 at 09:00 h, an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude (Richter scale) struck the area off of the western coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering a Tsunami. As of 25 January 2005, 5,388 fatalities were confirmed, 3,120 people were reported missing, and 8,457 people were wounded in Thailand alone. Little information is available in the medical literature regarding the response and restructuring of the prehospital healthcare system in dealing with major natural disasters.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to analyze the prehospital medical response to the Tsunami in Thailand, and to identify possible ways of improving future preparedness and response.

Methods:

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command Medical Department sent a research delegation to study the response of the Thai medical system to the 2004 earthquake and Tsunami disaster. The delegation met with Thai healthcare and military personnel, who provided medical care for and evacuated the Tsunami victims. The research instruments included questionnaires (open and closed questions), interviews, and a review of debriefing session reports held in the days following the Tsunami.

Results:

Beginning the day after the event, primary health care in the affected provinces was expanded and extended. This included: (1) strengthening existing primary care facilities with personnel and equipment; (2) enhancing communication and transportation capabilities; (3) erecting healthcare facilities in newly constructed evacuation centers; (4) deploying mobile, medical teams to make house calls to flood refugees in affected areas; and (5) deploying ambulance crews to the affected areas to search for survivors and provide primary care triage and transportation.

Conclusion:

The restructuring of the prehospital healthcare system was crucial for optimal management of the healthcare needs of Tsunami victims and for the reduction of the patient loads on secondary medical facilities. The disaster plan of a national healthcare system should include special consideration for the restructuring and reinforcement prehospital system.

Keywords

assessmentdisaster planninghealth clinichealthcare systemresponserestructuringtsunami
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , June 2006 , pp. 204 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2006

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