2006 MDH Earthquake Drill

2006 MDH Earthquake Drill

A Report

The Manila Doctors Hospital conducted an earthquake drill on June 20, 2006, coinciding with the National Earthquake Drill for Public Schools. The reason for coinciding with the National Earthquake Drill as proclaimed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was to show MDH’s support to the government’s earthquake awareness and preparedness program.

The overall goal for conducting the earthquake drill was to make Manila Doctors Hospital be prepared for a proper response in the event that an earthquake strikes. The ultimate objective was to protect the staff, patients, and visitors of Manila Doctors Hospital during an earthquake.

The other objectives of the drill were the following:

To formulate and test a structured and comprehensive MDH Earthquake Preparedness Program.
To be the first private hospital to have a structured and comprehensive earthquake preparedness program for its staff and patients.
To have an earthquake preparedness and response plan in all organic units in the MDH (Target: all organic units)
To provide information and training on earthquake preparedness and response when in MDH to hospital

- staff (Target: at least 500)

- patients on earthquake response (Target: 100)

- medical secretaries (Target: 30)

- visitors (Target: at least 100)

To make MDH staff aware of the presence of an MDH Earthquake Preparedness Program.
To make MDH clients feel that MDH is a safe hospital to go to as it has an earthquake preparedness program.
To project MDH as a hospital with an earthquake preparedness program.
To produce a model earthquake preparedness program in a hospital setting.

Outcome:

Specific Objectives	Outcome
To formulate and test a structured and comprehensive MDH Earthquake Preparedness Program.	Done – see Information, Education, and Communication Leaflet - The MDH Earthquake Preparedness Program - What to do when an earthquake strikes and you are in MDH - What to do before, during, and after an earthquake drill in MDH Tested on June 20, 2006 – 9 to 9:30 am See Debriefing Report
To be the first private hospital to have a structured and comprehensive earthquake preparedness program for its staff and patients.	Achieved
To have an earthquake preparedness and response plan in all organic units in the MDH (Target: all organic units)	Done but still have to submit written plans and to be refined
To provide information and training on earthquake preparedness and response when in MDH to hospital - staff (Target: at least 500) - patients on earthquake response (Target: 100) - medical secretaries (Target: 30) - visitors (Target: at least 100)	Achieved - staff = 623 - patients = 300 - medical secretaries = 50 - visitors = 228
To make MDH staff aware of the presence of an MDH Earthquake Preparedness Program.	Achieved With the participation of staff (see above) With the reporting on media Huge banners at the front and back of hospital
To make MDH clients feel that MDH is a safe hospital to go to as it has an earthquake preparedness program.	Achieved People were made aware of the presence of an earthquake preparedness program – not only on the day of the drill but even after – in media
To project MDH as a hospital with an earthquake preparedness program.	Achieved Media Front page exposure at the Philippine Daily Inquirer TV coverage on GMA’s News programs “24 Oras,” “Saksi,” and “Unang Hirit,” and on Q-TV’s evening news
To produce a model earthquake preparedness program in a hospital setting.	Achieved Adopted by Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center Has been requested by Philippine General Hospital’s Director Mike Alfiler (June 26, 2006) to assist in its earthquake drill
To assist the community in terms of awareness of earthquake response when in a hospital.	Achieved Taught patients, their relatives, and visitors Media
To assist a government hospital (OMMC).	Done – June 20, 2006 at 1-1:30 pm
To utilize an innovative strategy in preparing and executing an earthquake drill in a hospital setting - IEC – checklist, evaluation, feedback, and reporting sheet - Unit plans - Sectors / Floor Coordinators - Volunteer corps	Done
To utilize a strategy using a CHECKLIST to facilitate - Training / self-study on preparedness - Evaluation on response - Feedback on any aspect of program - Reporting of cracks, danger spots, etc.	Done

NO reported stampede

NO reported injuries

NO reported theft

Programme

Time	Events	Units / Persons Involved
9:00 am	1^st quake*	All
9:10 am	2^nd quake*	All
9:15 am	3^rd quake*	All
9:20 am	Evacuation for those units ordered to evacuate	Selective
9:30 am	Reconstruction	All
9:40 am	Debriefing	Sector / Floor Coordinators

*Siren / whistle will indicate earthquake.

Participation of Doctors’ Secretaries at DSMT

	Number
No. of secretaries	50 out of 125 (40%)
No. of doctors (while holding clinic in DSMT)	11
No. of patients (while consulting in DSMT)	50
No. of visitors (while in DSMT)	20

Participation of Manila Doctors College Nursing Students

	Number
No. of nursing students	128
No. of inpatients taught and participated in the drill	200
No. of outpatients taught and participated in the drill	20
No. of relatives	200

Overall number of persons (staff, patients, and visitors) taught and participated in the earthquake drill (with selective evacuation)

	Target	Achieved
Staff	500	623
MD		157
Nursing Staff		177
Support Staff		289
Patients	100	300
Inpatients		200
Outpatients		100
Visitors	100	228
MDC Nursing students		128
Medical Secretaries		50
Others		50

Expenses for MDH Earthquake Drill:


Tarpaulins (2)	P6,216.00 P3,552.00 P2,664.00
IEC	P4,430.00
Whistles	P721.00 P482.00 P239.00
Foods – June 20, 2006	P3,305.00
Ribbons	P410.00
Honorarium for PNRC – Mr. Sergio Pangan	P1000.00
		P16,082.00

Highlights of the preparation:

Preparation took only about 2 weeks (decided to have earthquake drill on June 6, 2006 (MRO), confirmed on June 8 (Mancom) and approved on June 15 – (Excom).
IEC – done June 9, 2006
General meeting – June 14, 2006
Unit meeting on earthquake preparedness and response plan – June 15 to June 19, 2006)
Cooperation of medical secretaries
Streamers – June 16, 2006 and June 19, 2006
Partnership with Manila Doctors College – June 19, 2006
Orientation and briefing of medical staff – June 19, 2006
Last general meeting – June 19, 2006
Documentation list – June 19, 2006
Invitation of media
Three IOLs – unit heads and medical staff
At least 3 meetings of the Disaster Preparedness Committee

Debriefing – Suggestions:

Improve warning system of simulated earthquake – siren cannot be heard in areas where the public address system is not installed.

Megaphones – lack and improve quality

Increase number of whistles for earthquake signals

Use of whistles for communication other than as signal of earthquake

More hand-held portable mini radios to be used for communication

More traffic marshals on the 2^nd floor

Portable stretcher in the floors

Emergency kits to be brought out during evacuation

Door at the Rehabilitation Medicine obstructing evacuation on the hall connecting the front and back of hospital

Assigned areas in evacuation holding areas

Code White to be explained further

Doctors do not know what to do in the evacuation areas

Needs batteries in case of power failure

Summary Report

For Press Release

Earthquake Drill at Manila Doctors Hospital

Last June 20, 2006, to support the government’s earthquake awareness and preparedness program and to make the hospital safe for staff, patients, and visitors, an earthquake drill was conducted at Manila Doctors Hospital. At exactly 9:00 pm, the drill started with the sounding of a siren through the public address system to signify the presence of an ongoing earthquake. All staff, patients, and visitors in the hospital premises at that time responded with “duck, cover, and hold,” opening of doors, temporarily stoppage of medical procedures at the same time protecting patients, and turning off of gas ranges, electrical and machinery switches. Two additional sirens were sounded off after 10 minutes and 5 minutes later. Aside from simulating aftershocks, the two additional sirens gave sector coordinators opportunity to teach those who were not able to respond properly during the first earthquake. At 9:20 pm, selective evacuation started from the fifth floor down and was completed within 5 minutes. Mock victims, real ambulatory patients, relatives of confined patients, visitors, nursing students, medical secretaries, hospital staff (doctors, nurses, and support staff), and valuables were evacuated using the driveways and streets as holding areas. Reconstruction was called at 9:30 pm with the participants going back inside hospital. A debriefing session was held at 9:40 pm in the presence of a Philippine National Red Cross observer in the person of Mr. Sergio Pangan and moderated by Dr. Reynaldo O. Joson, Chairman of the MDH Disaster Preparedness Committee. At the end of the drill, the outcome consisted of 1) a tested structured and comprehensive earthquake preparedness program at MDH which can be used as a model for other hospitals, both private or government, to adopt; 2) elevated awareness of earthquake preparedness and response among 623 staff, 300 patients, and 228 visitors who participated in the drill; and 3) most important of all, the first private hospital to have conducted a structured earthquake drill. For information on how to conduct earthquake drill in a hospital setting, please email: rjoson@maniladoctors.com.ph