Examining patient safety in fire incidents

Hippocrates, Galienni, Maimonides, and their contemporaries used to reveal the illness by conversing with the patient, by observing, palpating and even smelling him. The tools available to the ancient doctors were very simple. Today there is a complete arsenal of laboratory and X-ray equipment available for diagnostic purposes. This is the case for an enormous number of medical instruments necessary for the purpose of medical treatment. Almost all of them are electrically operated. Who can imagine today a hospital functioning without power, medical gases and many other systems? Yet, only 40 years ago, who would have imagined hospital computerisation? Today, like in many sectors, we fear that computers become a super power that may run our lives. It is very difficult to predict what surprises and revolutionary changes the future holds for us. However, it can be easily assumed that electro-mechanical systems will be expanded and new systems will appear and become most essential. The policy of transferring patients during a fire to other protected wards inside the building requires assuring the functioning of essential systems in these cases as well, and also enabling their efficient selective disconnection. Standards and routine solutions do not necessarily provide an answer for all the problems. However, we have many tools that make it possible to set creative tailor-made solutions. We can do it, and we must do it while looking forward to the future.