Preliminary communication

https://doi.org/10.31803/tg-20230511184836

Location of Emergency Treatment Sites after Earthquake using Hybrid Simulation

Simona Cohen Kadosh orcid.org/0000-0001-7389-9369 ; (1) Sapir Academic College, Logistics Department, Mobile Post Hof Ashkelon, 7915600, Israel / (2) Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Ben-Gurion Avenue 1, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
Zilla Sinuany-Stern ; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Industrial Engineering & Management, Ben-Gurion Avenue 1, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
Yuval Bitan orcid.org/0000-0001-7053-7012 ; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Health Policy & Management, Ben-Gurion Avenue 1, POB 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel

Abstract

A mass-casualty natural disaster such as an earthquake is a rare, surprising event that is usually characterized by chaos and a lack of information, resulting in an overload of casualties in hospitals. Thus, it is very important to refer minor and moderately-injured casualties, that are the majority of casualties and whose injuries are usually not life threatening, to ad hoc care facilities such as Emergency Treatment Sites (ETSs). These facilities support the efficient use of health resources and reduce the burden on permanent healthcare facilities. In our study, a hybrid simulation model, based on a combination of discrete events and an agent-based simulation, provides a solution to the uncertainty of positioning temporary treatment sites. The simulation methodology used compares between "rigid" and "flexible" operating concepts of ETSs (main vs. main+minor ETSs) and found the "flexible" concept to be more efficient in terms of the average walking distance and number of casualties treated in the disaster area.

Keywords

earthquake; emergency; temporary emergency facility; hybrid simulation; humanitarian logistics

Hrčak ID:

306120

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/306120

Publication date:

15.9.2023.

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