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Consideration of Medical and Public Health Coordination - Experience from the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2019

Hisayoshi Kondo ,
Yuichi Koido ,
Yuzuru Kawashima ,
Yoshitaka Kohayagawa ,
Miho Misaki ,
Ayako Takahashi ,
Yuji Kondo ,
Kayako Chishima  and
Yoshiki Toyokuni
Hisayoshi Kondo*
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Yuichi Koido
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Yuzuru Kawashima
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshitaka Kohayagawa
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Miho Misaki
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Ayako Takahashi
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Yuji Kondo
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Japan Red Cross Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
Kayako Chishima
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshiki Toyokuni
Affiliation:
DMAT Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
*
Correspondence: Hisayoshi Kondo, MD, PhD, Disaster Medical Assistance Team Secretariat, Disaster Medical Center of Japan, 3256 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-0014, Japan E-mail: kondo@dmat.jp
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Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to identify disaster medical operation improvements from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan) and to extract further lessons learned to prepare for future expected major earthquakes.

Methods:

The records of communications logs, chronological transitions of chain of command, and team registration logs for the Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT), as well as other disaster medical relief teams, were evaluated.

Results:

A total of 466 DMAT teams and 2,071 DMAT team members were deployed to the Kumamoto area, and 1,894 disaster medical relief teams and 8,471 disaster medical relief team member deployments followed. The DMAT established a medical coordination command post at several key disaster hospitals to designate medical coverage areas. The DMAT evacuated over 1,400 patients from damaged hospitals, transported medical supplies to affected hospitals, and coordinated 14 doctor helicopters used for severe patient transport. To keep constant medical and public health operations, DMAT provided medical coordination management until the local medical coordination was on-track. Several logistic teams, which are highly trained on operation and management of medical coordination command, were dispatched to assist management operation. The DMAT also helped to establish Disaster Coordination and Management Council at the prefectural- and municipal-level, and also coordinated command control for public health operations. The DMAT could provide not only medical assistance at the acute phase of the disaster, but also could provide medical coordination for public health and welfare.

Conclusion:

During the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, needs of public health and welfare increased enormously due to the sudden evacuation of a large number of residents. To provide constant medical assistance at the disaster area, DMAT, logistic teams, and other disaster medical relief teams must operate constant coordination at the medical headquarter command. For future expected major earthquakes in Japan, it will be required to educate and secure high enough numbers of disaster medical assistance and health care personnel to provide continuous medical and public health care for the affected area residents.

Kondo H, Koido Y, Kawashima Y, Kohayagawa Y, Misaki M, Takahashi A, Kondo Y, Chishima K, Toyokuni Y. Consideration of medical and public health coordination – experience from the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan Earthquake. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):149–154

Keywords

disaster medicineemergency medicineemergency respondersemergency shelter
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , April 2019 , pp. 149 - 154
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

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