Disaster emergency surgery workshop Davos 2011

Improving Practices in the Delivery of Emergency Surgery

Recent catastrophes including the Wenchuan Earthquake in May 2008, the Haiti Earthquake in January 2010, and the recent earthquake in Japan have caused extremely high numbers in casualties and called for greater attention to be given to the role of medical teams providing emergency surgery. Many of those rescued have life-threatening injuries that require emergency surgery, a good percentage of which are severe limb injuries.

The international response to these disasters has at times revealed highly questionable practices in the delivery of emergency medical humanitarian assistance, contrasting with a wider move in recent years to improve humanitarian intervention standards. Specific concerns centre on clinical competency, record keeping and follow up steps, but also on accountability, quality control, coordination and reporting.

Emergency Surgery Workshop Davos 2011 - Organised by GRF Davos, the AO Foundation and HCRI

To improve the quality of medical response immediately after sudden onset disasters and during the first days and weeks that follow, the workshop on emergency surgery, jointly organised by the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, the AO Foundation, and the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute HCRI will be a first step. It will take place back-to-back with the AO training courses held in December 2011 in Davos.