Early Medical Personnel Support means Enhanced Victim’s Recovery: Lessons Learned from the Pidie

Jaya Earthquake

Abstract

Major earthquakes impose subsequent consequences following crush injuries such as pre-operative
severe wound infection. This comorbidity may occur earlier and worst in country with tropical climate.
Early on-site recognition for urgencies may decrease the chance of wound infection as evacuation team
shorten time window within diagnosis and surgical management. Hence author determined to propose
an example how a fast-recognition and management in earthquake disaster may promote faster post-
operative recovery and mobilization.

This paper depicts the medical aspects of disaster management during the Pidie Jaya Earthquake in
2016. Specific problems were remote location and destruction of local Pidie Jaya hospital that alter
nearby unaffected Sigli hospital circulation and medical supply as victims of earthquake began to be
admitted in large numbers within short period of time. The numbers of earthquake victims that require
immediate surgical management were as much as 67 patients in multiple day of admission, with a peak
of admission on the third day post disaster.

Local surgeons & anesthetists were overwhelmed with this circumstances hence early personnel
support were proven to increase operating room turnover rate and utility rate. Volunteer teams of
surgeons, anesthetists, scrub nurse and nurse anesthetists from Aceh, Jakarta, Surabaya and Makassar
were rushing into Sigli Hospital with abundant personnel and equipment needed to begin surgeries.

Once technical problem settled, on the 5th day of voluntary mission, central refugees’ evacuation
commander mentioned the teams that there was no more victim found, and medical support were no
more needed. All 67 victims were recovering with only 1 patient needed prolonged hospitalization due
to underlying comorbid severe asthmatic attack, while 9 of them still have to stay 1 or 2 days more to
have their last debridement and wound drain dismantled and the half rest (51%) patients could go home
without any problem on their wounds.