Are we ready? Healthcare preparedness for catastrophic terrorism
ASPI has today released a new Special Report publication, Are we ready? Healthcare preparedness for catastrophic terrorism by Anthony Bergin, Director of Research Programs, ASPI and Raspal Khosa, Research Fellow, ASPI.
In this report the authors suggest that while positive steps have been taken in recent years, there are deficiencies in our healthcare system for mass casualty care. It suggests that further steps need to be taken to meet our healthcare preparedness, response and recovery goals for mass casualty incidents. While recognising that some hospital resource issues would need a response by the States, there are significant steps that can and should be taken by the Australian Government.
Key recommendations:
* a national summit should be convened to examine policies and practices for mass casualty disaster healthcare preparedness
* a national crisis centre that provides a common operating picture for all Australian government agencies should be established
* audits of national healthcare preparedness on a state-by-state basis for major disasters must be conducted and publicly released.
* national minimum standards for hospitals dealing with mass casualty disasters should be set.
* the healthcare system must be drawn into counter-terrorism exercises
* in the event of a disaster there should be a mechanism to limit general public access to mobile phone networks to guarantee communications between health workers and first responders
* the government’s national security website should provide practical information on health aspects of emergency response
* funding research into disaster medicine should be a priority
* the federal government should provide funding to upgrade inadequate existing CBD healthcare facilities to function as disaster triage hospitals.
* the Commonwealth should contract with one or more commercial carriers to supply suitably qualified flight crews and large passenger jets for large volume casualty airlift
* the states and territories should maintain databases of volunteer healthcare personnel who could provide first aid to the walking wounded and reassurance to the uninjured following a mass casualty incident
* a Centre for Lessons Learned should be established to act as a repository for emergency response information