Disaster risk management for health: mass casualty management

Disaster Risk Management for Health Fact Sheets:

This fact sheet about mass casualty management in disaster risk reduction for health is divided into four sections: i) Key points ii) Why is this important? iii) What are the health risks? iv) Risk management considerations.

Mass casualty management key points:
-Disasters from natural, technological and societal hazards lead to large numbers of non-fatal casualties or survivors.
-Mass casualty management is the health sectors immediate priority in an emergency.
-Many deaths following natural disasters are preventable with rapid medical care.
-The medical response to a mass casualty event operates at two broad locations: on-site and at the hospital.
-Defined pre-hospital search and rescue and triage are essential to determine patient treatment and transport priorities to save lives and optimise resources.
-A standardized and well rehearsed incident management system together with Standard Operating Procedures are paramount for linking site operations to health-facility based care during an actual disaster.