MME Scenario Collection


Humanitarian Relief

A military ship is sent to a country to provide humanitarian relief after an earthquake.

lt arrives after the acute phase of the disaster and is tasked with helping the islanders reconstruct. In order to conduct the task it embarks a team of doctors skilled at humanitarian relief, and a Role 2 team in case an injury is sustained by one of the ship's crew whilst conducting the reconstruction. The Role 2 facility has limited holding facilities and it has been ordered not to be used for the locals.

The host nation had poor medical facilities before the disaster and its health system has now been disrupted. The nearest Role 3 hospital is 6 hours sailing and any patient that requires transfer there will mean the ship needs to stop humanitarian work for at least a day.

The medical team go ashore and treat hundreds of patients every day who queue for hours to see them mostly with chronic conditions for which they cannot get treatment anymore, a few patients present with old injuries from the disaster but these become less and less over time. The team is able to transfer patients back in to the local system as it re-establishes itself and where it still functions in the larger islands.

Whilst ashore, a young girl falls from a tree and suffers serious injuries.

Source: Course participant's example

Questions for the discussion of this scenario

1. Should the girl be admitted to the Role 2 and then transferred, interrupting the humanitarian work?



Page ID: 70
Last updated: 24 Jul, 2017
Revision: 1
Military Medical Ethics Scenarios -> Limited/ scarce resources environment -> Disaster setting -> Humanitarian Relief
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