Emergency response to earthquake in Chile: Experience of a Cuban Field Hospital

Abstract

This paper presents the author's experiences in deploying and later establishing a Cuban fi eld hospital in response to the major earthquake that struck Chile in February 2010. It also reveals the initial diffi culties the medical team faced and how collaboration with local social, medical and military partners contributed to response effi ciency, and highlights the importance of Cuba's international health cooperation, especially in emergency situations. Over 254 days, Cuban health professionals had 50,048 patient encounters (outpatient visits and hospitalizations), a daily average of 197. They performed 1778 surgeries (1427 major, 80.2% of total) and accumulated valuable experience in managing a fi eld hospital in a disaster situation.