Israel schools the world on preventing hospital catastrophes during war
Israeli researchers have published a paper detailing hospital emergency protocols used during the October 7 attacks. The study aims to provide a framework for healthcare facilities worldwide to manage mass casualty incidents during prolonged armed conflicts.
Why it matters
The study offers critical operational insights for hospital preparedness in high-conflict zones, despite the controversial context of the ongoing war.
Researchers from Israel – a country that has targeted hundreds of healthcare centres in Gaza to much global outrage – have published a peer-reviewed paper that offers “practical lessons that could help hospitals worldwide prepare for prolonged armed conflicts and other large-scale emergencies.”
The paper, published by the Cambridge Univerrsity Press, draws lessons from the MCI (mass casualty incident) protocol in the 300-bed Assuta Ashdod Hospital in Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack. Despite the upheaval, the hospital was able to function, thanks to a rigorous protocol set in place.
Much before the attack, the hospital had installed “a strong culture of emergency preparedness,” that included MCI drills conducted every three months, the researchers found. The hospital was specifically designed with “protected infrastructure,” in sensitive areas with reinforced concrete.
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