Managing a Mega Mass Casualty Event by a Civilian Emergency Medical Services Agency: Lessons From the First Day of the 2023 Hamas-Israel War.
Int J Public Health
; 69: 1606907, 2024.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38487304
ABSTRACT
On 7 October 2023, Israel faced an unexpected attack by Hamas, causing over 1,200 deaths and injuring more than 9,000 individuals. This report delves into the rapid medical response spearheaded by Israel's civilian Emergency Medical Service, Magen David Adom (MDA), during this crisis. Utilizing data from MDA's electronic database, 4,097 dispatch records from the day were analyzed. Of these, 39.3% were directly related to the attack. EMS teams faced multiple challenges, including handling an overwhelming number of casualties and navigating active combat zones, which impeded safe access to victims, posed significant risks to teams' safety, and constrained patient evacuation strategies. This incident underscores the importance of reinforcing healthcare resilience, particularly emphasizing the need for centralizing various aspects of response efforts. These include streamlined communication, national coordination of pre-hospital resources, and systemic management of patient evacuations. Moreover, providing substantial support for EMS personnel, who operated in highly challenging conditions, is imperative.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Servicios Médicos de Urgencia
/
Incidentes con Víctimas en Masa
/
3,4-Metilenodioxianfetamina
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Public Health
Asunto de la revista:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Israel
Pais de publicación:
Suiza