General information
This unit consists of a field hospital with 75-150 beds to provide referral level multi-disciplinary care to a target population of up to 250.000 people in a disaster situation.
Designed to operate self-sufficiently, the hospital can also be integrated into the existing local health system if this is still functioning.
It is designed in a modular way to be adaptable to a given situation in the field and best integrate into local structures if needed.
The technical equipment should not exceed the standards in the country of deployment in order to avoid creating care levels that would not be sustainable in the long term.
The Referral Hospital covers the medical fields of surgery, limited traumatology, anaesthesia, internal medicine, gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatrics.
It consists of one or two operating theatres (incl. sterilisation of supplies), a delivery room, inpatient wards and treatment areas according to different medical fields, x-ray and a laboratory. It also provides an outpatient department and an ER to ensure the emergency treatment of casualties as a referral facility.
In addition to these specific medical modules the unit includes supporting modules like administration, telecommunication, water and power supply, maintenance, staff equipment and vehicles.
The set-up can be in tents or move partly or entirely into existing buildings.
Functionality and equipment are in line with international guidelines. The medical drugs comply with the WHO ‘Essential Drug List’. Medical supplies are calculated for three weeks consumption, re-supply to be organised according to actual needs.
In order to strengthen the disaster preparedness capacities in the country of deployment, the local health professionals receive in-service training regarding the handling of the equipment so that handover, the ongoing operation and future storage or integration can be facilitated by the Operating National Society or the local Ministry of Health.
The Finnish, German and Norwegian Red Cross Societies each provide an ERU Referral Hospital on stand-by pre-packed in their respective warehouses.
Priority boxes, rapid deployment:
A clearly defined subset of the modules, packed in boxes marked with red-and white stripes forms the so called Rapid Deployment Unit. The marking gives guidance regarding the order of set-up to be operational in the field quickly.
See item UMEDRDEH1NRC, Rapid Deployment Emergency Hospital.
Indicative staffing pattern:
The unit comprises of a team of 15-20 delegates experienced in field work:
Team Leader
Hospital Administrator
Senior Medical Officer
Head Nurse
Doctors specialised in different medical fields
Nurses specialised in different medical fields
Midwife
Medical Logistician/Pharmacist
Laboratory Technician
X-ray Technician
General Technicians
These delegates specially trained in working with ERUs will be supplemented by approx. 150 locally employed staff in the field, medical professionals trained according to local standards as well as support personnel.
List of content
The following list of content describes all items for a 50 beds, approximately 100 patients/3weeks, hospital. It includes all equipment, material and single use for Surgical, Ward, ICU, and OPD.
For larger structure, the quantities need to be adjusted.
It does not include MCH, PSP, Community Health, Laboratory, and X-Ray equipment which are specific to each National Societies.
It does not include support services that are specific to each National Societies.