There’s no standing still – you need to drill

In the CWA drill conducted today, Thursday, February 16, 2012, at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, HYMC staff drilled to ensure preparedness in the event of mass casualties following a strike by a missile with a chemical warhead containing chemical warfare agents.  

HYMC staff participated in the drill, which the HYMC emergency command prepared jointly with the Preparedness Headquarters of the Home Front Command and the Emergency Department of the Ministry of Health, included a drill for the military unit stationed at the hospital in a state of emergency and also examined the working interface between organizations such as the fire department, police and rescue services in Hadera and the surrounding area. 

Hillel Yaffe: Drilling treatment of wounds from chemical warfare
Photo: Itzik Barbi   

“The drill we simulated was part of a far-reaching preparedness plan that is implemented as part of the annual emergency plan, which is drilled by hospital staff each year,” said Prof. Meir Oren, Director General of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. “Wounds from chemical warfare have complex implications for medical treatment. When hundreds of people are injured by chemical agents, the identity of which is not necessarily known, this is exceptionally complicated in clinical terms. In this regard, ensuring the preparedness of the medical system is critical, and I am glad to say that we did an outstanding job.”