Citation

Helou M, El Osta N, Weinstein ES. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2022.115

PMID

35844102

Abstract

On August 4, 2020, a major explosion took place in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Some hospitals in Beirut were destroyed and became nonfunctional, and others were overwhelmed with casualties, with 8643 casualties admitted to emergency departments on that night. The Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, 2.8 km away from the blast, received an unexpected number of casualties. While a disaster plan was conceived earlier, this hospital's emergency department faced many challenges on that night, and major flaws in their preparedness plan were seen.

Language: en

Keywords

Beirut blast; disaster planning; emergency preparedness