Vol. 566 No. 1
516 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Health and Children if hospital action plans exist to cope with major disaster situations, for example, air crashes, train crashes and terrorist attacks, in which multiple casualties would result, in view of the over-stretched and overcrowded state of accident and emergency departments in hospitals throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11619/03]
There is an established framework in place for a co-ordinated response to major emergencies. The purpose of the framework is to establish common procedures in each of the front-line emergency services for activating emergency plans and co-ordination, control and co-operation during peacetime emergencies.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, and each of the health boards has an emergency plan which is based on this framework and which is kept under constant review. The main aim of the plans is to ensure that the health service is in a position to mobilise all necessary and available resources and to utilise these to best advantage in order that the resulting response will be appropriate, structured, co-ordinated and effectively managed. The emergency plan can be activated by the ambulance service, fire service or the Garda.
Each acute general hospital, including those providing accident and emergency services, has an emergency plan which is an essential subset of ERHA-health boards' major emergency plans. Hospital emergency plans are designed to deal with the receipt and treatment of patients in the event of the occurrence of a major incident. The aim is to ensure that hospitals are in a position to provide appropriate treatment for incoming casualties.
