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Previous Volume 293:691-695 October 2, 1975 Number 14 Next

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Abstract

The sudden arrival of 1600 Vietnamese orphans in San Francisco required the rapid development of a co-ordinated disaster plan, including the overnight establishment of a 1000-bed pediatric field hospital. The plan required rapid identification and involvement of lay and governmental resources, acute medical triage and provision of ongoing medical care and basic nurturing services and eventual discharge to adoptive families. Because one third of the orphans were under six months of age, conventional nursery resources were insufficient, and a "warehouse" model was implemented. This process required development of a specialized transportation and communication system, the services of 800 physicians, 1400 nurses, and 3200 volunteers and 162 back-up acute hospital beds. Disaster planning in most sizable American cities has focused on the problems of adults. Because of the unusual problem presented by infants and small children, we recommend that cities carefully evaluate their disaster planning with special reference to the needs of children.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Carley, S. D, Mackway-Jones, K., Donnan, S. (1999). Delphi study into planning for care of children in major incidents. Arch. Dis. Child. 80: 406-409 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• KING, E. G. (1976). The Moorgate Disaster: Lessons for the Internist. ANN INTERN MED 84: 333-334 [Abstract]