Disaster Management : Earthquake & Hospital Evacuation

Earthquakes pose a serious threat to the lives of people throughout the world. Hospitals are the initial sources of medical care after any major disaster. However, hospitals have been as vulnerable to the destructive power of earthquakes as the populations they serve. Hospitals are usually considered a safe haven and support system for the people involved in an emergency situation. Consideration of hospital evacuation occurs when a threat to the population grows to include the hospital itself. Hospital evacuation in the event of an earthquake is a complex, unpredictable and difficult process that requires a robust strategy and careful execution. Currently, little guidance exists as to what issues should be addressed in a hospital evacuation plan. There are several critical issues when considering the evacuation of a hospital : Nature of threat, Risk to patients, staff, visitors, Need for continuing acute care, Demands for supplies, Demands for resources. Evacuation of large numbers of inpatients from a hospital can be accomplished quickly and safely with the use of available resources and personnel. The success of an evacuation greatly depends on developing and evaluating alternative plans. However, there is no standard approach to address the issues of a hospital evacuation. Some possible model types for problems in hospital evacuation exist. Models can be used to assist in plan development as well as in evaluation of plans or assessment of emergency exercises. Therefore, this review article assesses the existing literature to describe modeling hospital evacuations to achive an effective evacuation plan.