Summary: During wartime, Israeli hospitals face significant security challenges, requiring rapid shifts from routine operations to various states of emergency. Even in peacetime, hospitals maintain high levels of preparedness, regularly practicing their response to extreme events. However, since the outbreak of the Iron Swords War, hospitals have been on heightened alert, employing comprehensive strategies to address emerging threats. Those situated within conflict zones are crucial in delivering immediate medical care to the injured while managing risks such as missile attacks, bombings, and other security threats. As a hospital outside the front-line zone, this presentation outlines our preparation and response strategies to address war-related threats such as rocket attacks and UAV incursions, support front-line hospitals by admitting transferred patients, and mitigate potential damages while saving lives. These efforts are carried out alongside continuous preparedness for and management of mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). The preparation plan involves a multi-dimensional response strategy, including: 1. Maximizing protected areas within the hospital 2. Increasing stocks of equipment and essential medications 3. Ensuring operational continuity in case of national system failures 4. Addressing human resource challenges by training staff and maintaining resilience 5. Sustaining a constant state of readiness and alert 6. Collaborating with external rescue authorities and supporting hospitals in conflict zones Balancing emergency response with the need to maintain routine operations over an extended period of high alert A robust contingency plan and preparedness for wartime scenarios are essential to ensure resilience, operational continuity, and an effective response to emerging needs. These efforts are critical to saving lives and supporting both routine and emergency medical operations.
Ofir et al. (Sun,) studied this question.