Disaster Wards

Makassar Disaster Medicine Project

Visit A-3
21-30 August 2014

Disaster Wards

Ward organisation
Pre-allocation
Decanting of ward
Ward Security
Staff Required
Training of staff
Equipping the Disaster Ward
Exercising the disaster ward.

Disaster ward Organisation

Centralize disaster patients into a single ward
Ease of monitoring movement, and care of disaster
patients
Disaster medical / surgical team knows where patients
located
Easier nursing management
Need to decant patients and regroup regular patients
in other hospital areas
Decentralize disaster patients into available beds in
different wards
Disaster patients all over the hospital

Pre-allocation of disaster
wards
If decision to centralize disaster patients
Which wards are designated as disaster wards
If designated ward gets filled, what is the next
ward in line to be the next disaster ward
What is the decanting plan for the identified disaster
ward, once disaster is activated
What would be the staffing requirements for a
disaster ward

Activation Protocols
Criteria for activation of mass disaster response
plan
Protocol to follow on activation:
Decant existing patients
Discharge
Transfer to other wards

Recall extra staff to man stations

Stock up on extra supplies to meet surge
Maintain lists of casualties and respective diagnosis
for accounting

Security of Disaster Ward

Access to disaster ward
Is anyone allowed to walk into the ward
?Restricted access pass or any other system
Visiting hours for disaster ward

Preventing undesired people form

entering disaster ward

Disaster Ward:
Staffing per 12 hour
shift
Medical Specialist
beds

1:20

Resident
beds

1:10

Nursing Officer
beds

1:20

Nurses
beds

2:5

Training Disaster Ward

Staff
Write out Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Brief staff on SOP
Identify skills needed to manage disaster patients in
Disaster Ward
Conduct skills training for ward staff
Conduct Disaster ward exercises both to decant the
ward and to practice staff in managing casualties in the
ward

Disaster Ward Logistics

Identify requirements for medical supplies and
equipment.
Pack and keep 1 set for supplies for 20 patients
Pack and keep additional sets in hospital stores to be
auto-pushed to the ward in times of disaster

Thank you

Extra Slides

Definition
Disaster Wards
Wards that are dedicated to cohort patients
from mass disaster sites
Large open-aired wards with good ventilation
Staffed by trained personnel

Principal of Centralization
All patients from major incident collected
together allows for resources especially
needed for this
Higher density of staff
Psychosocial support available
Allows for cohorting of possibly chemically
contaminated patients
Easy identification/crowd control

Supplies
Preparedness:
Reserve supplies of certain materials of critical
importance (eg fluids, certain drugs)
Agreements with suppliers of materials (fluids, drugs,
disposables) to provide access to supplied in case of
emergency within short time/out-side office hours
Stock certain non-disposable materials that can be
sterilized and reused

Take Home Points

Disaster Wards is based on the Principle of Centralization

Be prepared for the need for extra supplies during surge
Have clearly defined disaster protocols to follow on
activation