Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Professionals in Singapore’s Emergency Department: A Two-Pronged Approach through Training and Simulation — Field Report

Summary: Healthcare professionals in Emergency Departments (EDs) must be prepared to handle mass casualty incidents (MCIs) that can strain resources and impact care quality. Despite Singapore’s low risk of natural disasters, its vulnerability to incidents like plane crashes and terrorist attacks necessitates comprehensive disaster planning. This includes readiness for CBRNE threats and HAZMAT decontamination. During civil emergencies, public hospitals in Singapore mobilize resources like Field Medical Teams (FMT), civil emergency (CE) personnel, and HAZMAT decontamination stations (HDS). Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) ED employs a two-pronged approach of lectures and simulations for training. About 50 ED healthcare professionals participated in a program organized into three groups: FMT, CE, and HDS. In the lectures, participants gained knowledge about civil emergencies, workflows, and their specific roles during MCI activation. This was complemented by simulations conducted every two weeks. FMT simulation focuses on efficiently deploying support teams from the hospital to incident sites. CE participants utilize building blocks for a tabletop exercise to visualize the department’s layout and processes during MCI activation. HDS participants train to don hazmat suits quickly and set up a decontamination area. SKH ED also conducted a full-dress rehearsal simulating a massive MCI activation involving all participants. The two-pronged approach enhances understanding and interactive learning through safe simulations, thereby boosting emergency preparedness. As a relatively new hospital, SKH ED greatly benefits from these simulations. However, training is limited by time constraints and the specific qualifications required for different roles, such as an Advanced Diploma in Emergency Medicine or HAZMAT certification. There is also a need to enhance training for managing pediatric casualties, as most public hospitals primarily serve adults. While disasters are rare in Singapore, the potential severity of such incidents highlights the importance of well trained staff in the ED. Therefore, prioritizing training for ED staff in emergency and disaster preparedness is essential for effective management.