Hospital in a Tent

[westbrook]

Some hospitals are now getting tents to set up in the parking lot of the hospital. These Tents hold 100 patients, and can be set up in parking lot in a short period of time. Powered by generators, can be used to administer medicines or to house patients.

 

These can be used in the event of a Natural disaster such as earthquake, hurricane, bird flu to medical injuries from a terrorist attack.

 

Fox News, Sunday Sept. 10 at 4:15 pst.

[goatherder]

Oh boy! I guess if they are doing things like that, something must be up.

[HappyValley]

I think I'll just stay at home.

[txcowgirl]

I work for a hospital, so I guess when the tent goes up, I'll be putting in some long hours. I am a physical therapist rather than a nurse, but I'm sure they'd find something for me to do.

[Granny]

Can’t find that news article but don’t believe (hope not) this is due to something anticipated for immediate use. However, “you never know”. Living near New Madrid fault line is one of our big risks. The obvious other threats are just as unknown as to when...

 

Concept of mobile hospitals has been around for awhile in emergency response planning. Several reasons they would be used are staging, triage, and quarantine units. During Katrina our state was ready to set up one where major interstate highways intersected from the south. Evacuees were to be directed there for medical evaluation or other needs and referred to other sites as needed. It was not deployed due to the way people ended up being evacuated. They set up a receiving station in St. Louis (at significant cost) and I seem to remember no evacuees arrived there.

 

Drills and exercises for mass immunizations have also been conducted as practice, using flu vaccine or candy M&M’s. This began couple years ago for such things as smallpox immunization or meds for anthrax.

 

The military has used mobile medical units for years in the field. Same for volunteer groups such as earthquakes overseas etc. Not surprised more hospitals are buying tents and equipment as part of Homeland Security funding and planning directives. Read one site where hospitals have chemical decontamination tents. In our area there are specialized units (usually associated with fire departments with special hazmat training) to take care of decontamination.

 

Little comfort that we even have to think about these things….and being ready for...anything.

 

[Dora]

I think this may possibly be in response to some federal and state mandates following Katrina (unfunded of course), rather than decisions by individual hospitals. I would rather they be prepared to quarentine certain patients from the other patients. I would not want a bird flu patient in the cancer ward.

[cookiejar]

here's some info on hospital tents and yes, some were deployed during katrina too.

 

 

http://www.medtents.com/

 

http://www.usmedicine.com/article.cfm?arti...&issueID=57

 

http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/feb2...a020906dg1.html