HA took part in exercise to prepare for nuclear emergencies

HA Head Office and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) participated in Exercise Checkerboard II held earlier with other government departments. The exercise, which lasted for two days, aimed to test the response capabilities of various organisations and departments in dealing with nuclear incidents in Daya Bay. A tabletop exercise was conducted on the first day to test the internal and external coordination and management of Major Incident Control Centre (MICC) of Head Office. In the ground movement on the second day, PYNEH treated two patients with radiation contamination. Concluding the outcome of this exercise, recommendations included: (1) enhancement on the existing decontamination procedure to speed up the treatment for radiation contaminated victims; (2) cautious handling of public concerns to relieve their anxiety; (3) strengthening public education to raise people’s awareness of nuclear emergencies; and (4) acknowledgement of the importance of communication with government departments.

MICC of Head Office took part in a tabletop exercise, aiming to test the capabilities of directing emergency response and coordinating with different departments.

After being notified by HAHO MICC, a designated Radiation Emergency Team in PYNEH, including a team leader (doctor), A&E doctors and nurses, medical physicist, triage officer and supporting staff, were on standby in the A&E department. Upon patients’ arrival, the healthcare staff in protective gear received them at Emergency Radiation Treatment Centre for treatment.

Clothing and personal belongings on patient’s body were removed and scanned for surface contamination checking. Patient’s body surface was checked with a Surface Contamination Monitor. The patient was brought to shower, or cleaned with gauze. Meanwhile, observers and umpires participated in the ground movement.

If the Surface Contamination Monitor cannot detect any signal, the patient is free of contaminant and will be admitted to general ward for further management.

If radiation is still detected, the patient will be scanned by Whole Body Counter to identify the contaminated part of the body. Then the patient will be admitted to an isolation room with radiation shielding in Oncology ward for further treatment until the residual radiation decays. A debriefing session was held after the completion of the exercise by MICC.