Roberto Arranz, head of the Emergency and Post-Conflict department of the Aecid office.
A total of 45 health professionals of public health services participate in the Spanish Technical Team for Help and Response in Emergencies (Start), among which are doctors, nurses and Nursing Auxiliary Care Technicians (TCAEs). Furthermore, the so-called ‘red vests’ are backed by a total of 375 volunteers that participate in the initiative, for the most part, employees of the National Health System (SNS) from all the Autonomous Communities, according to Medical Writing Robert Arranzhead of the Emergency and Post-Conflict Department of the Humanitarian Action Office of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Aecid).
According to Arranz, this equipment is designed to work in emergency situationsespecially in natural disasters, although does not intervene in conflict situations to “guarantee the safety of its members”.
Specifically, he clarifies, it is about medical personnel with the specialties of Family and Community Medicinewith experience in emergency and hospital and out-of-hospital emergencies; Pediatrics, Epidemiology, Radiology and surgical specialties such as Anesthesia; General Surgery; Traumatology and orthopedics; Y Gynecology and Obstetrics.
In addition, he also makes up the personal team of Nursing with training and experience in emergencies and emergencies, surgical area and hospitalization, as well as physiotherapists and radiology and laboratory technical personnel.
The main objective, explains the head of the department, is to attend to the population of the area affected by the catastrophe in the “minimum possible time”: “You have to act quickly and deploy the hospital in the first 72 hours”.
Field hospital of the Spanish elite health team
The ‘red vests’ field hospital requires some 70 professionals for each rotation, of a maximum of 15 days and it is estimated that an emergency deployment in the field can last a maximum of two months, which means four rotations of 15 days each. These health professionals are the ones who “they take care of hospital patients directly”which is open 24 hours a day.
As for services, Arranz points out that it has a triage area, provides services for General Emergencies, Surgery, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Traumatology and Psychology. “The psychosocial part is also important. Not only do you have to heal the wounds, but also the aftermath after the traumatic event, ”he adds.
In addition, the body has resuscitation equipment, basic general anesthesia, radiology and has its own laboratory, pharmacy and material sterilization systems.
In external consultations, Arranz states that the hospital can treat between 100 and 120 patients each day. In addition, he stresses, the infrastructure is prepared for the hospitalization of 20 people. As a type 2 Emergency Medical Team, it has operating room in which approximately seven major surgeries O well fifteen minors per day.
Classification of Emergency Medical Teams
The Emergency Medical Teams (EME), an initiative led by the WHO, are classified according to the complexity of the emergency situations they can assume; so a EMT I would give Primary Care, while in the EMT IIin which the Spanish Start is registered, adds surgical capacity and hospitalization.
Lastly, a team EMT III It has at least two operating tables, 4 intensive care beds, and the ability to manage complex surgeries, orthopedic and reconstructive care. In addition, to these three modalities are added the specialized teams, which are integrated into EMT II or IIIfor management of epidemic outbreaks, rehabilitation, mental health, among other conditions.
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