Navigating Concurrent Disasters: Lessons learned from a Hospital Evacuation Amidst a Pandemic and an Earthquake

Abstract

The concurrent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant earthquake in Izmir on October 30, 2020, presented a unique scenario for disaster management and response. This study focuses on the impact of the earthquake, which resulted in 117 fatalities, including 1 due to drowning, and injured 1034 individuals, alongside widespread structural damage including to the Izmir Democracy University Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Training and Research Hospital. The objective is to assess the activation and implementation of the hospital disaster plan amidst the ongoing pandemic. Through a retrospective evaluation of all actions undertaken as per the Hospital Disaster Emergency Plan within the Disaster Management cycle, this study examines the decision-making process for the hospital evacuation on October 30, 2020, the evacuation of COVID-19 patients, and the strategies employed to increase hospital capacity. Of 216 patients hospitalized at the time of the earthquake, 65 were transferred to other facilities under COVID-19 protocols. The prolonged nature of pandemics and the likelihood of secondary disasters underscore the importance of comprehensive risk assessments and dynamic disaster planning, considering simultaneous multiple hazards. This study suggests the inclusion of multi hazard scenarios and diverse evacuation methods by using types of ambulances, such as ground, helicopter, and boat.