To prepare for any type of hospital evacuation, hospitals should practice evacuation drills annually, according to an article on the Hospital Build & Infrastructure website.
Many hospitals avoid evacuation drills because they disrupt normal operations. Avoiding these exercises and a lack of vulnerability identification are key errors in hospital readiness, the article said.
International best practice recommends identification of vulnerabilities and available resources as the starting point. The main vulnerabilities that can disrupt hospital operations are water, steam, electricity, natural gas, heating and cooling, electric life support equipment, IT, communications and security.
Water and electric are basic for hospital operations and can create the need for evacuation if they are not operable, the article said.
Additionally, the development of protocols and training are required. In 2010, The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) recommended the development of emergency response plans, effective warning systems, dedicated evacuation resources and staff training.
The WHO (2011) has developed the Hospital Emergency Response Checklist to assist hospital administrators and decision-makers in emergency preparedness. The checklist outlines key components and related actions that support disaster response.
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