Abigail Trewin, Director of the Disaster Preparedness and Response, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, discusses Australia's foreign policy, gives a tour of their warehouse – "the supermarket of disasters," and how the AUSMAT is able to rapidly respond to crises around the world. Video courtesy of the Australian Government, Department of Foreign…
Read moreNegative Pressure Isolation Facility Takes Pressure Off Strained Samoan Hospital System in Its Time of Need
Photo courtesy of Misiona Simo. On the heels of declaring a measles epidemic in mid-October, Dr. Take Naseri, the Director-General of Health for Samoa’s Ministry of Health, officially declared a state of emergency for the measles outbreak on Friday, November 15. The outbreak has so far claimed the lives of 76 individuals, more than…
Read moreLEVEL III FIELD HOSPITAL DISPLAYED AT 9th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL SERVICES (RMS)
More than 600 medical specialists and 200 speakers from 50 countries around the world convened for the 9th International Conference of the Royal Medical Services (RMS) and Jordan Health Exhibition (JOHEX) held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in Dead Sea, Jordan from October 30 to November 2. The four-day event showcased the…
Read moreUS Army Pacific (USARPAC) “Going in Light” Research Discusses Viability of Rapid Deployment Medical Component to Support Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief (HA/DR)
Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response team provides life-saving surgeries in a BLU-MED® mobile medical facility following Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Philippines (2013). A 2016 research article written by the United States Army, Medical Operations and Planning Office, discusses the viability and need for light-weight, highly adaptable, and mobile medical facilities to support a…
Read moreBLU-MED Medical Facilities and Mobile Field Hospitals vs. Expandable Hospital Containers
When man-made or natural disasters require an immediate emergency response, deployable medical facilities allow hospitals, first responders, governments, and relief organizations to quickly respond with medical facilities capable of providing basic to advanced-level care …when and where needed™. Whether it is part of a state-level emergency preparedness plan, hospitals establishing an alternate emergency operation center…
Read moreSanta Cruz County Prepares With Mobile Hospitals From Blu-Med
Photo courtesy of KION News Channel 5/46. Full article and video available here. Santa Cruz County, California recently acquired 6 BLU-MED® mobile hospitals from the state. The mobile hospitals will be used to provide emergency and medical response services following man-made or natural disasters including earthquakes, fires, and mud slides. “The goal is to be…
Read moreAmeriCares Deploys BLU-MED Medical Facilities in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
The 155 MPH winds from Hurricane Maria caused wide-spread damage to much of the island’s utilities, infrastructure and homes. In San Lorenzo, the two-story COSSMA non-profit health center was destroyed and rendered unusable when sections of the roof were blown away. The clinic provides medical services to approximately 5,000 patients a year.
International Medical Corps Deploys BLU-MED Mobile Hospital in Los Angeles
In partnership with FedEx, a team from the nonprofit International Medical Corps setup a BLU-MED mobile field hospital in downtown Los Angeles to respond to a simulated cholera outbreak following a crisis or natural disaster. The complete 9,000 square foot mobile hospital consists of 12-modules and is fully equipped with medical equipment and supplies, power…
Read moreDeadly Flu Strain Prompts Hospitals to Accommodate Patient Surges with Mobile Medical Facilities
An unexpectedly deadly strain of influenza has been menacing the nation this winter season, causing infectious disease specialists and hospitals to quickly respond to a surge of patients. Based on last week’s data, and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the influenza-like illness (ILI) has reached near flu epidemic proportions, with…
Read moreThe Vietnam Peacekeeping Center’s Level-2 Field Hospital Training Exercise
The Vietnam Peacekeeping Center (VPC), Military Hospital 175, and the Department of Military Medicine under the Vietnam Ministry of Defence in association with the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), recently held a series of lecture-based training and hands-on training exercises to prepare and train officers of the VPC and the Ministry of National Defence of…
Read moreBLU-MED Medical Facilities Deployed After Hurricane Harvey
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season, which officially ends November 30, has been record breaking, a test of human resolve and resiliency, and will require ongoing support for the massive recovery and rebuilding efforts. Considered the most active hurricane season since 2005, this season could potentially also be the costliest – with an estimated $180 billion…
Read moreEquipping Modern Field Hospitals for Effective Disaster Response
Field hospitals play a critically important role in disaster response, from natural calamities like flooding or hurricanes, to outbreak of disease and violent conflicts. These facilities are the primary drivers for reducing the human life consequences of disaster, and helping survivors recover more quickly. Ample equipment and staffing of field hospitals is key to their…
Read moreInternational Medical Corps and FEDEX Partner to Respond to Large-Scale Disasters
According to the World Health Organization, natural disasters kill approximately 90,000 people and affect almost 160 million people each year, worldwide. The importance for governments, local municipalities, first responders, as well as international aid organization to rapidly respond to such disasters with mobile hospitals and medical facilities cannot be understated. “The first 72 hours following…
Read moreDonated BLU-MED Hospital Facility Becomes Region’s Rescue Command Center After 3 Major Earthquakes In Central Italy
Within the span of four days, three powerful earthquakes devastated the central Umbria region of Italy. Stone and concrete structures, common in this mountainous province, previously compromised by the massive 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Amatrice on August 24, which killed nearly 300 people, offered little resistance. Centuries-old structures, many of historical significance, were reduced to…
Read moreThe Importance of Deployable Morgues for Disaster Sites
Natural disasters of all types and intensity carry risk of fatalities. Even minor inclement weather scenarios can have tragic effects and loss of life. Deployable morgues fill a critical need within effective medical care operations at disaster sites. Disaster response planning should always include these systems in order to manage deceased victims respectfully, efficiently, and…
Read moreHurricane Matthew Emphasizes the Need for Emergency Preparedness and Mobile Medical Facilities
BLU-MED® 25-bed mobile hospital deployed in Leogane following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The 2016 hurricane season is in full swing and the forecast for the season’s peak (occurs around September 10 each year) is promising to be a devastating one. Having inflicted destruction across many Caribbean islands including the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, Hurricane…
Read moreBlu-Med Participates in Delaware Hurricane Exercise
The Delaware Air National Guard, 166th Medical Group was the lead unit for the exercise and responsible for the setup of a BLU-MED Response System® mobile hospital. The BLU-MED medical facility included an administration area, triage area, operating room, and patient ward.
Field Hospitals
Combat and disaster zones require complete medical support for everything from simple illnesses and scrapes, to intensive care, surgery, and even isolation capacity in the event of the outbreak of a disease or virus such as Ebola. Portable field hospitals provide the rapid deployment and setup, ease of transport, and comprehensive medical services and equipment…
Read moreEcuador and Japan Earthquakes Highlight Need for Mobile Medical Facilities
Deadly earthquakes have struck regions of Ecuador and Japan in the past week, resulting in hundreds of deaths, thousands injured, and leaving a combined total of almost 450,000 in need of aid and/or shelter. The extreme and sudden effects of large scale disasters highlight a need for mobile medical facilities and shelter accommodation that can…
Read morePortable Disaster Response Structures for Flooding
Flooding causes a sudden state of emergency that can force communities to evacuate residents to safety, displace families from their homes and cause damage to vital infrastructure. In South Carolina, heavy rains swamped local communities, triggering President Barack Obama to declare a state of disaster from flooding. Since Oct. 3, at least 13 dams failed,…
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