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Mass casualty incident training in a resource-limited environment
J J Leow1, S I Brundage, A L Kushner
1Surgeons OverSeas (SOS), New York, New York 10003, USA.
The British Journal of Surgery
|December 23, 2011
Summary
Developing a mass casualty incident (MCI) workshop in Sierra Leone highlighted critical logistical gaps. Training in logistics, not just medical skills, is essential for resource-limited disaster response.
Area of Science:
- Disaster Medicine
- Emergency Medical Services
- Global Health
Background:
- Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) overwhelm local emergency medical services.
- Sierra Leone, a low-income country, faces unique challenges in disaster response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) workshop tailored for a resource-limited setting in Sierra Leone.
- To identify specific needs and challenges in MCI preparedness in the region.
Main Methods:
- A 2-day MCI workshop was co-developed by Surgeons OverSeas (SOS) and Sierra Leonean partners.
- Didactic sessions on triage, resource deployment, and communication were followed by a mock MCI drill with performance assessments.
Main Results:
- Pre-course surveys revealed deficits in triage training (29%), transportation (19%), and communication (17%).
- Triage accuracy during the drill was high (93% on-scene, 77% hospital).
- Key deficiencies included transport issues, victim tracking, and inadequate triage areas, with interagency coordination identified as a crucial learning area.
Conclusions:
- Existing MCI programs designed for high-resource settings are inadequate for resource-constrained environments.
- Logistical training, rather than medical skills, emerged as the primary educational priority for effective MCI management in Sierra Leone.
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