Decision to evacuate a hospital during an emergency: the safe way or the leader's way?
Hospitals have frequently been evacuated because of natural or man-made disasters. In this article, we identify elements to be considered when confronted with the possibility of hospital evacuation. Hospital evacuation may have a significant impact on the surrounding community and the overall population. When the patients in a hospital are placed at risk, hospital leadership often decides to evacuate the facility to safeguard the well-being of both patients and staff. Such a decision is not likely to be criticized. We present various considerations. The effect of evacuation on patients, hospital staff, family members, the community, and even the nation as a whole, as well as repercussions affecting potential patients should be integral to the decision-making process and parallel to the risk assessment.
Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Bruria
B
Adini
Daniel
D
Laor
Robert
R
Cohen
Avi
A
Israeli
D003657:Decision Making; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000458:organization & administration; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration