News
The General Medical Zone Headquarters conducted its 2024 Joint Disaster Response Drill
As a disaster-response hospital, Tokushima university Hospital conducted a joint disaster response drill with the neighboring Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital on October 12 (Sat.) to determine whether the disaster response headquarters and the system for receiving patients would function adequately to receive patients in the event of a large-scale disaster.
The drill simulated facilities being besieged by a tsunami due to an earthquake with a seismic intensity 6 or higher. A disaster response headquarters was set up and headed by Dr. Shoji Kami, Director of the Hospital, and a disaster response meeting was convened to determine the level of medical care facilities could provide. The meeting verified the personnel, information, supplies, etc., that would be needed for the hospital to continue providing medical care in the event of flooding from a tsunami, and it verified the use of paper forms in the event that electronic medical charts were inaccessible.
In addition, a liaison and coordination drill regarding patient transport was also conducted with the Prefectural Central Hospital.
Simulating a besieged facility, the drill assumed that the hospital would be accepting a few patients from the neighborhood. Students from the University’s School of Medicine played the role of patients, making the drill more realistic.
The participating hospital staff took the drill seriously and they identified current issues. The drill has reaffirmed the importance of establishing a system for routine preparedness for a disaster so that the Hospital can respond immediately in the event of an actual disaster.