BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE preparedness of hospital staff to respond to and deal with emergencies was put to the test yesterday (Apr. 7) morning during an emergency drill exercise in commemoration of World Health Day.
The exercise took place at about mid-morning and included a simulated accident in Basseterre and engaged the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and staff at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital.
As part of the simulation, the EMS was required to transport persons injured in the accident to JNF and they were turned over to workers there for emergency medical attention. The exercise came at a time when many individuals inclusive of babies, visited the hospital for treatment and other purposes.
One mother explained to SKNVibes that she was somewhat confused when, upon hearing the sound of sirens, she was told to vacate the building (hospital) without explanation.
This was confirmed by the Health Disaster Coordinator Andrew Skerritt who spoke briefly with SKNVibes on the scene of the simulation. He said no explanation was given until after the simulation was completed so as to ascertain the staff’s level of preparedness in the event of an actual emergency.
He however was in high praise of members of the public who were in the building at the time, noting that their response to the request of building evacuation was done in record time.
Skerritt informed that at a convenient time, a post mortem of the exercise would be conducted to determine the areas of success and failures and to make improvements where necessary.
Speaking exclusively with SKNVibes, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Elvis Newton explained that this year’s World Health Day was celebrated under the theme “Safety in Hospitals” and this was St. Kitts’ way of commemorating the day.
“Today (Apr. 7) is World Health Day as endorsed by the World Health Organisation. The hospital is one of the main entry points in terms of disasters and so we need to be sure that our hospital staff is ready to respond to disasters, be they natural or manmade.”
Following the simulation, Newtown explained that videos were shown to the staff and members of the public to sensitise them about the importance of safety in hospitals and the need for staff there to be ready and able to respond to emergencies. He said pamphlets were also distributed to this end.
World Health Day 2009, according to the WHO, “Focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Health centres and staff are critical lifelines for vulnerable people in disasters - treating injuries, preventing illnesses and caring for people's health needs. Often, already fragile health systems are unable to keep functioning through a disaster, with immediate and future public health consequences.”
It further explains that the WHO and its international partners “are also urging health facilities to implement systems to respond to internal emergencies, such as fires, and ensure the continuity of care”.
