Hamilton Hospitals Prepare for the Worst

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Published September 12, 2019 at 2:04 pm

Last week, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) staged their bi-annual disaster simulation that recreated the fallout from a large explosion at Tim Hortons Field.

Last week, Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) staged their bi-annual disaster simulation that recreated the fallout from a large explosion at Tim Hortons Field.

Emergency and trauma doctors and medical residents, joined by nearly 150 nurses, administrative staff, paramedics, health professionals and volunteers acting as ‘patients,’ recreated the chaos of a disaster scenario in an effort to prepare for the worst.

“We’re seeing more of these events happening around the world and in our own communities,” said Dr. Ali Mulla, emergency medicine resident and co-lead of the disaster simulation event. “So, it’s important that we’re prepared in the event that disaster strikes.”

The auditorium at Hamilton General Hospital was set up to mimic an emergency department, complete with gurneys and carts stocked with medical supplies.

‘Patients’ were made up to look like they were wounded and as the victims started to flood the makeshift emergency department, teams worked together to triage them based on the severity of their injuries while closely monitoring the availability of supplies.

“Simulation provides the opportunity to practice good collaboration when the stress isn’t so high,” said Mulla. “Everyone involved is able to experience the same incident with time to debrief and discuss together afterwards.”

The disaster simulation event happens every two years to help keep the learnings fresh in everyone’s minds, and to give residents at all stages the chance to participate.

Photo courtesy Hamilton Health Sciences Facebook

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