Improving mass casualty planning in low resource settings: Médecins Sans Frontières and International Committee of the Red Cross perspective

Abstract

Mass casualty events occur on a regular although unpredictable basis within the contexts of both Mèdecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities. The frequency of both natural disasters and other mass casualty incidents is increasing with urbanisation and industrialisation, compounded by climate change and conflict. Both organisations have recognised that the historical training focus on full-scale mass casualty simulations has not always been followed through to the resolution of action points and dissemination of learning. Staff training for mass casualty management has been variable. This led MSF and ICRC to develop a multimodal approach to assist development of mass casualty plans and preparedness. Capitalising on our presence in these contexts we are incorporating our experience of quality improvement and change management to complement simulation to 'stress and test' systems. We examine the challenges and share our efforts to improve training of staff in field projects across both MSF and ICRC and discussing future innovations.

Keywords: International Committee of the Red Cross; Médecins Sans Frontières; humanitarian field; major incident management; mass casualty incident; mass casualty planning; mass casualty training.