A disaster drill in Hong Kong

This case report relates the course of a disaster drill held on 19 August 1994 in a regional acute hospital (Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital) in Hong Kong. The Hospital Civil Disaster Contingency Plan (the Plan) was put to trial on that day. Volunteers were invited to become simulated casualties in the exercise. Briefing seminars had been conducted with clinicians of the Accident and Emergency department (A & E) and other departments of the hospital. The scenario was a man-made type disaster. A double-decker bus turned over and injured 19 people in that afternoon. All the victims were sent to A & E by ambulance. The Plan was activated and relevant units were mobilized according to the Plan. It took 45 minutes to complete the disaster exercise. Debriefing sessions reviewed difficulties encountered throughout the drill and possible remedies.