Phra Nakhorn Si Ayutthaya hospital took part in practicing a full-scale fire evacuation to improve its disaster preparedness strategy with support from the Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER).
The hospital
is one of the selected model hospitals in Thailand that PEER is supporting. It
was selected for the training exercise because of its high-risk location making
it vulnerable to disasters, especially flooding. Similar evacuation procedures
can be applied in times of floods and fire.
The evacuation training tested a pre-existing evacuation plan and helped
pinpoint any shortcomings that could cause major problems during a real
evacuation.
“We are not looking at the medical management of the patients, but the hospital’s coordination and how they manage an emergency response, specifically communication, resource management and coordination”, said John Abo, Program Manager from ADPC’s Public Health in Emergencies department
New communication methods
to be put into full use
During the exercise, the hospital staff worked with the fire department and
with the local senior community group that acted as mock patients to stage a
fire on the fifth floor of the hospital that would call for an evacuation in a
real-life scenario.
Based on the evacuation exercise, the hospital was able to determine what needed to be changed in the future to make evacuations safer and more efficient.
Doctor Duangporn Ajuwarachun, Public Information Officer of the hospital recalls a past evacuation in 2012 when a major flood hit the hospital and the catastrophe sparked a lot of confusion.
“During the disaster, a lot of outside help came into the hospital. So, there were many people in a command position and it ultimately led to more confusion”, he says.
The training had new communication methods established, but there were still issues implementing them.
“Our staff knew the plan and how to move the patients, but they didn’t act because they were waiting for the command from the director”, said Doctor Ajuwarachun.
Prasong O’Wopparatwibui, Chief Safety Officer, agreed that communication proves to be an issue during a disaster situation.
“The hospital
has to improve communication systems so they can reach all rooms if necessary.
We also need to improve our skills while using the radio”, said
O’Wopparatwibui.
Making sure no one is
left behind
ADPC’s John Abo will continue working with the hospital to enhance the
preparedness and assist in identifying corrective actions to ensure efficient
emergency communication.
“Floor
marshals could be used while escorting patients outside to ensure none were lost on the way to the safe zone, and a system needs to be established to make
sure no one is left behind during an evacuation. Properly marked exits and
recently tested fire extinguishers are also very important”, Abo stated.
The Phra
Nakhorn Si Ayutthaya hospital is one of four hospitals in Thailand that is
practicing fire evacuations with technical support from the Hospital Preparedness
for Emergencies initiative under the Program for Enhancement of Emergency
Response.
The program is implemented by ADPC and funded by the U.S. Agency for
International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
(USAID-OFDA) and the American Red Cross.