Doctors being trained in disaster response

A team of six doctors are receiving regular training - both in Malta and abroad - in disaster response.

A number of simulation exercises are planned to be held over the next year to give the team the opportunity to practise their strategies, Denis Vella Baldacchino, the principal medical officer in charge of disaster preparedness and emergency services within the Institutional Health Directorate, said.

Although some complain that simulation exercises are a waste of time, Dr Vella Baldacchino believes they are an imperative part of training. The exercises allow the response team to test their plans and also learn from mistakes.

"They also allow for the different response teams - health, the Civil Protection Department, the police, the armed forces and non-governmental organisations - to get to know each other and learn how to operate together."

He stressed the importance of building a partnership with NGOs. "They have good resources which can boost our response." In fact, St John's Ambulance have taken part in a number of simulation exercises.

Time is of essence during a disaster and a van donated by the CPD a couple of months ago is ready packed with the necessary medical equipment, including 40 rucksacks each holding enough material to treat three people.

"This means that someone can just get into the van and drive to the site," he said.

He said that when the police are informed about a disaster, they alert casualty and a block page is sent to a group of 20 people making up the health response team, including the six doctors who are on call around the clock.

Radios are used to communicate with the team and inform them of the exact location and extent of the disaster, the approximate number of victims and any hazards. "The likelihood is that during a disaster, phone and mobile networks will be down."

As the response team travels to the site, the hospital is deploying well-equipped ambulances and nurses.

Once the team arrives on site, they establish a safe place to set up their mobile clinic and start seeing to patients, who are prioritised according to their injuries.

"Our first priority is life-saving and limb-saving treatment."

He spoke highly of the staff at St Luke's Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department who have a special interest in emergency medicine, saying they were doing very valid work and giving up a lot to offer round-the-clock cover.