Myeong-Il Cha1, Minhong Choa2, Seunghwan Kim2, Jinseong Cho3, Dai Hai Choi4, Minsu Cho5, Won Kim6, Chu Hyun Kim7, Daehyun Kang8, Yun Jung Heo9, Jung Eon Kim10, Han Deok Yoon10, Soon Joo Wang11. 1. 1Myongji Hospital,Emergency Medicine,Goyang,Korea. 2. 2Yonsei University Severance Hospital,Center for Disaster Relief Training and Research,Seoul,Korea. 3. 3Gachon University Gil Medical Center,Department of Emergency Medicine,Incheon,Korea. 4. 4Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital,Department of Emergency Medicine,Gyeongju,Korea. 5. 5Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences,Department of Radiation Emergency Medicine,Seoul,Korea. 6. 6Inje University College of Medicine and Seoul Paik Hospital,Department of Psychiatry,Seoul,Korea. 7. 7Inje University College of Medicine and Seoul Paik Hospital,Department of Emergency Medicine,Seoul,Korea. 8. 8The Armed Forces Medical School,Save Center,Daejeon,Korea. 9. 9Ajou University School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine,Department of Medical Humanities and Social Medicine,Suwon,Korea. 10. 10National Medical Center,National Emergency Medical Center,Seoul,Korea. 11. 11Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital,Department of Medicine, Seoul,Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A number of multiple-casualty incidents during 2014 and 2015 brought changes to Korea's disaster medical assistance system. We report these changes here. METHODS: Reports about these incidents, revisions to laws, and the government's revised medical disaster response guidelines were reviewed. RESULTS: The number of DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) staff members was reduced to 4 from 8, and the mobilization method changed. An emergency response manual was created that contains the main content of the DMAT, and there is now a DMAT training program to educate staff. The government created and launched a national 24-hour Disaster Emergency Medical Service Situation Room, and instead of the traditional wireless communications, mobile instant smart phone messaging has been added as a new means of communication. The number of disaster base hospitals has also been doubled. CONCLUSION: Although there are still limitations that need to be remedied, the changes to the current emergency medical assistance system are expected to improve the system's response capacity. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:526-530).
OBJECTIVE: A number of multiple-casualty incidents during 2014 and 2015 brought changes to Korea's disaster medical assistance system. We report these changes here. METHODS: Reports about these incidents, revisions to laws, and the government's revised medical disaster response guidelines were reviewed. RESULTS: The number of DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team) staff members was reduced to 4 from 8, and the mobilization method changed. An emergency response manual was created that contains the main content of the DMAT, and there is now a DMAT training program to educate staff. The government created and launched a national 24-hour Disaster Emergency Medical Service Situation Room, and instead of the traditional wireless communications, mobile instant smart phone messaging has been added as a new means of communication. The number of disaster base hospitals has also been doubled. CONCLUSION: Although there are still limitations that need to be remedied, the changes to the current emergency medical assistance system are expected to improve the system's response capacity. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:526-530).
Entities:
Keywords:
disasters; mass casualty incidents; medical assistance