Mobile field hospital to save lives in emergencies

September 16, 2019

Photos: Khodzhaeva M.

On 13 September 2019 UNDP handed over a mobile field hospital worth 5,5 mln KGS (80,248 USD) to the Republican rescue squad of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (hereinafter RRS MES KR) in Osh. The set of the mobile hospital includes medical equipment and furniture.

The event was attended by the head of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the KR in Osh oblast Nurmatov A., the commander of the RRS of the MES KR Karabaev M., Attache of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Osh Borisov A., UNDP specialist Tairov Sh., local mass media and the public.

A field mobile hospital based on pneumatic frame modules and generators made in Russia is a lightweight, compact resuscitation facility that can be applied to a wide range of emergency situations to provide first hand medical assistance to victims affected by disasters, stabilize patients and prepare them for medical evacuation to institutions specialized in treatment at a higher level.

The hospital is designed for 10 doctors and auxiliary medical workers. The construction of the hospital consists of 3 units: surgery unit, a walk-in facility and a warehouse. Each unit unfolds within 10 minutes. Two surgery groups can work in the operation facility at a time, besides the mobile hospital can serve about 30 people who need inpatient treatment. The design includes special air conditioners for working in the summertime and heating for use in the cold seasons. A mobile hospital can operate autonomously, without any connection, for up to ten days.

According to RRS MES KR Commander Karabaev M., the existing medical response service of the State Civil Protection System, inherited from the Soviet Union, is still guided by outdated norms and standards developed during the Cold War era and requires significant improvement. “Activities in the framework of strengthening the disaster medicine, and in particular the creation of a mobile point will be closely linked to the work of fire and rescue units, as well as Crisis Management Centers (CSC), the Unified On-line Dispatch Service 112, created with the expert support of the All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defense and Emergencies of the Ministry of Emergency of the Russian Federation”, he said.

This initiative was supported by the UNDP project “Integrated development of Osh Oblast”, funded by the Russian Federation. The project aimed at regional development, including the prevention of emergencies. Since 2017, within the project framework, 30 pilot villages have received disaster risk profiles for implementing mitigation and green projects, 4 projects have been implemented to reduce risks from mudflows and landslides, and one cremator has been installed for the disposal of infected livestock.