Disaster preparation and the functioning of a hospital social work department during the Gulf War

The nature of the Gulf War and its consequences for the public at the personal and community levels, called for considerable alterations in organization and management at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, the largest government general hospital in Israel, with constant adaptation to the changing situation. The preparations and exercises preceding the state of emergency, combined with the knowledge and experience gained in similar situations in the past, equipped the staff of the Social Work Department to function adequately and to make appropriate decisions and changes in the face of moral and ethical dilemmas, as well as immediate physical threat. This article presents the rationale for the model of intervention that guided the hospital during the Gulf War in offering services to casualty victims and their families. Also discussed are the process of developing an organizational framework and its content that meets wartime demands, and the implications for social work practice in dealing with a war crisis.