Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T08:15:19.850Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Deployment of International Emergency Medical Teams after the Beirut Harbor Explosion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2022

Olivier Hagon  and
Lionel B. Dumont Open the ORCID record for Lionel B. Dumont [Opens in a new window]
Olivier Hagon
Affiliation:
University Hospitals of Geneva, Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine - Community Medicine, Centre for Humanitarian Medicine and Disaster Management (WHO) Collaborating Centre, Geneva, Switzerland
Lionel B. Dumont*
Affiliation:
Geneva University Hospitals Department of Acute Medicine, Anesthesiology, Rue Gabriel Perret Gentil, Geneva, Switzerland
*
Correspondence: Lionel B. Dumont Geneva University Hospitals Department of Acute Medicine Anesthesiology Rue Gabriel Perret Gentil, Geneva 1211 Switzerland E-mail: alpamayo98b@gmail.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Keywords

BeirutEMTsinternational response
Type
Article Commentary
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , February 2023 , pp. 134
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

The paper of Wolff, et al raises a real question about the international health care response to the Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020 and illustrates very well the discrepancy between the real needs and resources brought by international aid. Reference Wolff, Shankiti, Salio and von Schreeb1 It demonstrates that despite the increasing demand for standardization of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) and improvement of coordination mechanisms between EMTs (EMT Coordination Cell), there is often a mismatch between needs and resources.

We have described how the Swiss specialized care team EMT has rapidly modified its initial approach specializing in technical and clinical care into a non-clinical and non-technical aid with specific goals in three fields: human empowerment; construction; and providing cash for health care, working in synergy with local authorities to reopen health facilities and allowing patients to receive health care. Reference Hagon and Dumont2

The “human empowerment” part consisted of working as partners along with the shocked and psychologically traumatized Lebanese health care professionals and supporting them in their daily work to make decisions and regain self-confidence. Interactive discussions, exchange of experiences, and expressing emotions allowed them to resume activities gradually and recover energy on their own. The “construction” component allowed rebuilding and temporarily rehabilitating buildings inside the affected hospitals in order to receive patients. The building repair was funded by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid and performed by local companies under the supervision of the EMT architect and Lebanese hospital officials.

The paper by Wolff, et al reminds us that, once in the field, EMTs should be able to adapt rapidly and efficiently to local needs rather than remaining confined to pre-planned programs.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare none.

References

Wolff, E, Shankiti, I, Salio, F, von Schreeb, J. The response by international Emergency Medical Teams following the Beirut Harbor Explosion in 2020 - who were they, when did they arrive, what did they do, and were they needed? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2022;37(4):529–534.Google Scholar
Hagon, O, Dumont, L. The Beirut blast 2020: lessons learned from the Swiss Emergency Medical Team specialized “Mother & Child.” Am J Disaster Med. 2020;15(4):303–-305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed