Emergency Response to Earthquake in Chile: Experience of a Cuban Field Hospital

Area of Science:

• Disaster medicine
• International health cooperation
• Emergency response

Background:

• A major earthquake struck Chile in February 2010, necessitating international humanitarian aid.
• Cuba's international health cooperation is crucial, particularly in emergency situations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present experiences of deploying and establishing a Cuban field hospital in Chile post-earthquake.
• To highlight challenges faced and the importance of collaboration in disaster response.

Main Methods:

• Deployment and operation of a Cuban field hospital over 254 days.
• Collaboration with local social, medical, and military partners.
• Tracking patient encounters, hospitalizations, and surgeries.

Main Results:

• Over 254 days, 50,048 patient encounters were recorded (average 197 daily).
• 1,778 surgeries were performed, with 1427 being major surgeries (80.2%).
• Valuable experience was gained in managing a field hospital during a disaster.

Conclusions:

• Collaboration with local partners significantly improved response efficiency.
• The deployment demonstrated the effectiveness of Cuba's international health cooperation in disaster scenarios.
• Experience gained is vital for future emergency response operations.