(A217) Success Indicators of Emergency Medical Management: A Building Collapse Disaster

Abstract

A four-story building collapse in east Delhi, India in November 2010 claimed 66 lives and left 130 injured. It is considered one of the worst such disasters in Delhi. This disaster included massive rescue operations to pull out those trapped under the debris. The nodal hospital, which did not have a well-defined hospital disaster management plan, managed the disaster extremely well. The success indicators included a SMART triage, autopsy and tagging/labeling dead bodies, public notification system, effective hospital networking for patient transfer and getting injured family members together, excellent media management, important dignitaries' management, important decision-making processes, and commendable teamwork. The critical aspects of management proved as a key indicator for the successful management. The paper discusses the details of the case study and analyzes each indicator in greater focus. The lessons learned are critically evaluated.