To explore the 3-tiered treatment model for medical treatment after an earthquake.

Based on the practices of the national emergency medical rescue services in the Lushan earthquake zone, the 3-tiered treatment classification approach was retrospectively reviewed.

Medical rescue teams assembled and reported quickly to the disaster areas after the earthquake. The number of injured people had reached 25,176 as of April 30; of these, 18,611 people were treated as outpatients, 6565 were hospitalized, and 977 were seriously or severely injured.

The 3-tiered treatment model was the main approach used by rescue services after the Lushan earthquake. Primary and secondary treatments were of the highest importance and formed the basis of the Lushan model of earthquake rescue and treatment. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; 12: 301–304)

In light of government investment over the past decade, we explored the capacity for disaster response in Heilongjiang Province, identifying the factors that affect response capacity.

We surveyed 1257 medical staff in 65 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Heilongjiang province to explore their perceptions of disaster management capacity using a cross-sectional multistage, stratified cluster sampling method.

All tertiary hospitals (100%) and most secondary hospitals (93%) have documented disaster management plans that are regularly reviewed. In secondary hospitals, drills were less prevalent (76.7%) but the occurrence of simulated training exercises was closer to tertiary hospitals (86.0%). We noted that 95.4% of all hospitals have leadership groups responsible for disaster preparedness capacity building, but only 10.8% have a stockpiled network of reserve supplies.

Although response capacity has improved in Heilongjiang Province, vulnerabilities remain. We recommend that priorities should be targeted at preparedness capacity building, in terms of reliable and relevant operational response plans, the expansion of existing response mechanisms to oversee local education and scenario training, and to ensure there is sufficient access to protective equipment and materials, either held in reserve, or alternatively by activating resilient supply chain mechanisms. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:176–183)

In recent years, the number of the relief efforts has increased, especially after the Marmara and Duzce Earthquakes that occurred in Turkey in 1999. The plight of the relief workers during and after disasters has been a main point of focus in Ministry of Health (MoH) and one of the major fields in disaster management.

A questionnaire was developed pertaining to demographic information; range of relief workers'numbers, professions, training experience, and working experience in a disaster; stress factors and symptoms; self-help strategies during the disaster work; and the motivation sources of being a relief worker. This questionnaire was distrubuted to 551 medical rescue workers that participated in the 3rd National Medical Rescue Training and Practicing Programme held in Bursa, Turkey in 2007.

All the data were analyzed using SPSS Pocket Programme 11.5. The results showed that the ability to train and work under stress are the basic factors of being an adequate relief worker. The major stress factors are taking extreme risks and being an eyewitness to the death or injury of a relief worker.

A supportive approach for relief workers should be a main component of disaster management. Identifying the expectations of relief workers is extremely important for effectively working in disaster area.