How Hospitals Cope With Natural Disasters
During a natural disaster, many places of business shut down and their employees evacuate. A hospital is different because, whether for-profit or run by a charity, it provides a vital public service to the community, a service for which the need is usually greater in an emergency situation. Depending on the type of disaster and its severity, a hospital may shut down during a natural disaster, evacuating patients and staff. However, this is only one possible scenario. Here is a look at what can happen in a hospital before, during, and after a natural disaster.
Hospitals Make Plans Based on Research
Natural disasters don’t happen in a vacuum. There are examples of similar past events that hospital administrators can look at. They may review a hurricane lesson plan to determine what worked well in the past and what changes could be made to the current approach to make it more effective. They set procedures for evacuating patients and staff if this is deemed necessary so, if the occasion arises, the evacuation can proceed according to an orderly plan.
They Communicate Emergency Plans To Staffers
Once hospitals have emergency procedures in place, they communicate them to staffers so that everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency. They make a point of explaining the plans clearly and emphasize to staff that safety is a top priority.
They Divide Personnel Into Teams
To care for current patients while handling new patients that have illnesses or injuries related to the disaster, a hospital requires all staff members to work. So that reserves are available to relieve those who are on duty when the disaster first strikes, all staff members are divided into two teams designated A and B. The designations are for identification purposes only so that staff members know when they are needed. There is no difference between the experience, dedication, or skill of members of the two teams.
They Make Decisions About How To Proceed
Depending on the nature of the emergency, it may be necessary to evacuate the hospital, both patients and staff. Another option is to shelter in place, e.g., batten down the premises and wait out the storm in the hospital.
They May Discharge or Transfer Some Patients
If there is sufficient warning before the disaster strikes, as is typically the case with a hurricane, hospitals may discharge some patients early so that they can go home to their families before the so-called “zero hour” when the event occurs. During this time, elective surgeries are canceled and hospitals may refuse to admit nonemergency patients so that there are fewer people present when the disaster strikes. In situations where there are high-risk patients, e.g., those on ventilators, hospitals might transfer them to a safer facility should there be a power outage.
They May Allow Staff Members To Bring Family Members or Pets to the Facility
It can be difficult for hospital staff to concentrate on their jobs if they are worried about what may be happening at home. There have been cases of hospital workers leaving the facility in the face of a disaster to evacuate with family members. So that staff members know that their loved ones are safe, some hospitals allow them to bring family members with them in the hospital to shelter in place. Pets are sometimes included. This depends on individual hospital policy.
They Expect Lots of Patients Following the Disaster
Hospitals typically experience sudden surges in demand for services after a disaster strikes. Some of the admissions are for injuries sustained in the disaster itself. However, others are only indirectly related to the event. People who evacuated or sustained damage to their homes may have had to leave prescription medications behind. They may not have access to refills because pharmacies close in the wake of the catastrophe. As a result, people displaced by the storm may require medical care and have nowhere to turn for help other than the hospital.
Hospitals continue to re-evaluate data from past disasters to improve procedures in response to a disaster.
