EARTHQUAKE KNOWLEDGE UPDATE

EARTHQUAKE KNOWLEDGE UPDATEkapak

PRELIMINARY PREPARATION(EQUIPMENT, DISASTER TEAM, COORDINATION)

Mahmut Kurtboğan1 Yasin Emre Kaya2

1Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Bolu, Türkiye
2Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology,Bolu, Türkiye

Kurtboğan M, Kaya YE. Preliminary Preparation (Equipment, Disaster Team, Coordination). In: Kalenderer Ö, Servet E, editors. Earthquake Knowledge Update. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.7-23.

ABSTRACT

Earthquakes severely challenge healthcare systems due to infrastructure damage, supply chain disruptions, and an overwhelming surge in emergency cases. Effective earthquake preparedness requires prior planning of medical equipment stockpiling, structural resilience of hospitals, and healthcare personnel coordination. Essential items such as ventilators, trauma kits, antibiotics, and IV fluids must be readily available. Field hospitals and mobile health units serve as crucial alternatives when hospitals become inoperable. Medical teams are divided into first responders, advanced support, and rehabilitation groups, ensuring efficient triage, emergency surgery, and psychological care. Volunteer involvement and community health training ease the burden on professional teams. National (e.g., UMKE, AFAD) and international (e.g., WHO, MSF) organizations contribute significantly to disaster health responses. Communication continuity is ensured through satellite phones and radio systems, while digital tools like electronic medical records (EMR) and telemedicine improve coordination and patient management. Logistics planning, including ambulance routing and drone deliveries, ensures timely treatment of critical patients. A well-organized, technology-supported, and community-integrated disaster response significantly increases the resilience of healthcare systems post-earthquake.

Keywords: Earthquake preparedness; Healthcare system resilience; Field hospitals; Triage system; emergency medical logistics

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