Strategic planning and designing of a hospital disaster manual in a tertiary care, teaching, research and referral institute in India

doi:10.5847/wjem.j.issn.1920-8642.2014.01.006

Abstract

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: As per the "Disaster Management Act, 2005" of India, it is mandatory for government hospitals in India to prepare a disaster plan. This study aimed to prepare a disaster manual of a 1 900 bed tertiary care hospital, in consultation and involvement of all concerned stakeholders.
METHODS: A committee of members from hospital administration, clinical, diagnostic and supportive departments worked on an initial document prepared according to the Act and gave their inputs to frame a final disaster manual.
RESULTS: The prepared departmental standard operating procedures involved 116 people (doctors and paramedical staff), and were then synchronized, in 12 committee meetings, to produce the final hospital disaster manual.
CONCLUSIONS: The present disaster manual is one of the few comprehensive plans prepared by the stakeholders of a government hospital in India, who themselves form a part of the disaster response team. It also helped in co-ordinated conduction of mock drills.

Key words: Disaster Management Act, Disaster manual, Hospital administration, Stakeholders, Mock drills

Shweta Talati, Prateek Bhatia, Ashok Kumar, A. K. Gupta, Col. D Ojha. Strategic planning and designing of a hospital disaster manual in a tertiary care, teaching, research and referral institute in India[J]. World Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2014, 5(1): 35-41.

Figures/Tables 6

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Table 3

References 11

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Key elements of disaster manual
D	Disability
I	Implementation/information
S	Social/safety aspects
A	Accommodation
S	Security
T	Timing/therapy
E	Evaluation
R	Rehabilitation

Departments	Category (hospital staff)	Total number of staff
Clinical:
1. General surgery	Consultant (4), Nursing staff (2), Technician (2), Residents (2)	10
2. Neurosurgery	Consultant (4), Nursing staff (2), Technician (2), Residents (2)	10
3. Orthopedics	Consultant (4), Nursing staff (2), Technician (2), Residents (2)	10 (50)
4. Anesthesia	Consultant (4), Nursing staff (2), Technician (2), Residents (2)	10
5. Internal medicine	Consultant (4), Nursing staff (2), Technician (2), Residents (2)	10
Non-clinical:
1. Radiology	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6
2. Transfusion medicine	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6
3. Microbiology	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6 (36)
4. Hematology	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6
5. Biochemistry	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6
6. Cytology	Consultant (3), Technician (1), Residents (2)	6
Supportive areas:
1. Security & Fire	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
2. Nursing	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
3. Engineering wing	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
4. Sanitation	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
5. Dietetics	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
6. Reception services	Officers/Assistant officers (2)	(24)
7. Transport wing	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
8. CSSD department	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
9. Central store	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
10. Pharmacy	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
11. Telephone wing	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
12. Registration wing	Officers/Assistant officers (2)
Hospital administration	Consultants (4), senior residents (2)	(6)
Grand total	Total departments involved (23)	Total manpower (116)

Strength	Weakness
Highly skilled human resources	The response of staff used to be ad-hoc, impromptu & haphazard
State of art equipment and facilities	Fresh set of instructions needed to be issued for every event
Efficient hospital administration system	Role & responsibility of individual members and departments unclear
	Line of authority & chain of command unclear
	Non-availability of any record of past events of disasters for research & training
	No established communication methodology
	No proper patient tracking system
Opportunity	Threat
To make every employee aware of the plan	Specific threats like fire hazards or employees strikes were identified & addressed to in the draft plan
To evolve a system of special record-keeping for every event of disaster
To develop a patient tracking system
To identify a training methodology