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Navigating Concurrent Disasters: Lessons learned from a Hospital Evacuation Amidst a Pandemic and an Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

Zeynep Sofuoglu Open the ORCID record for Zeynep Sofuoglu [Opens in a new window] ,
Merdiye Ozturk Open the ORCID record for Merdiye Ozturk [Opens in a new window] ,
Metin Er Open the ORCID record for Metin Er [Opens in a new window] ,
Gul Arslan Open the ORCID record for Gul Arslan [Opens in a new window] ,
Ömer Faruk Sönmez Open the ORCID record for Ömer Faruk Sönmez [Opens in a new window]  and
Mehmet Yekta Oncel Open the ORCID record for Mehmet Yekta Oncel [Opens in a new window]
Zeynep Sofuoglu*
Affiliation:
Izmir Democracy University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Izmir, Türkiye
Merdiye Ozturk
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, Health care Services Directorate, Izmir, Turkey
Metin Er
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, Civil Defense Unit, Izmir, Türkiye
Gul Arslan
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, Education Department, Izmir, Türkiye
Ömer Faruk Sönmez
Affiliation:
School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Mehmet Yekta Oncel
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital, Head Physician, Izmir, Türkiye Izmir Katip Celebi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neonatology, Izmir, Türkiye
*
Corresponding author: Zeynep Sofuoglu; Email: zeynep.sofu@gmail.com
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Abstract

The concurrent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant earthquake in Izmir on October 30, 2020, presented a unique scenario for disaster management and response. This study focuses on the impact of the earthquake, which resulted in 117 fatalities, including 1 due to drowning, and injured 1034 individuals, alongside widespread structural damage including to the Izmir Democracy University Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital. The objective is to assess the activation and implementation of the hospital disaster plan amidst the ongoing pandemic. Through a retrospective evaluation of all actions undertaken as per the Hospital Disaster Emergency Plan within the Disaster Management cycle, this study examines the decision-making process for the hospital evacuation on October 30, 2020, the evacuation of COVID-19 patients, and the strategies employed to increase hospital capacity. Of 216 patients hospitalized at the time of the earthquake, 65 were transferred to other facilities under COVID-19 protocols. The prolonged nature of pandemics and the likelihood of secondary disasters underscore the importance of comprehensive risk assessments and dynamic disaster planning, considering simultaneous multiple hazards. This study suggests the inclusion of multi hazard scenarios and diverse evacuation methods by using types of ambulances, such as ground, helicopter, and boat.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemicearthquakedouble disasterevacuationpreparedness
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e268
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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