Hundreds of volunteer ‘victims’ to be used to test new RAH’s ability to cope with mass mayhem
DOZENS of volunteer “victims” of car accidents, ebola outbreaks and other disasters will bench test the new $2.3 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital and see if the emergency department can cope with mass medical mayhem.
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DOZENS of volunteer “victims” of car accidents, ebola outbreaks and other disasters will bench test the new $2.3 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital and see if the emergency department can cope with mass medical mayhem.
Not unlike a movie set, 756 people will take part in 20 “acts” using thousands of pallets of equipment, from syringes to mobile medical equipment, for 40 days.
“Technical completion” of the hospital is expected on Wednesday according to internal documents seen by The Advertiser but not confirmed by officials, triggering a 90-day “facility transition” period.
If all goes well this will result in “commercial acceptance” when SA Health takes charge and starts payments of more than $1 million a day to the SAHP consortium under the 35-year contract to finance, design, build, maintain and provide non-clinical services such as cleaning.
The 90-day transition will see rigorous trials to ensure the building can fulfil its role as the state’s flagship hospital, able to handle crises from major casualty situations and infectious disease outbreaks to external disasters including blackouts.
Furniture including desks and computers will be set up ready for use as the hospital prepares to come to life.
Director Commissioning, nRAH, Elke Kropf, told The Advertiser: “It will be a massive event management situation.’
She noted the logistics included timing the arrival and movement of tonnes of material through the hospital to avoid double handling and clogging the building.
This huge project will turn the building into a hospital ready to save lives.
Then on day 33 of the 90-day transition period, work will begin on 20 dress rehearsal scenarios to put the building through its paces as a hospital.
“These will reflect real-life situations,” Ms Kropf said.
“Eleven scenarios will be about patients and how they would experience care in the hospital.”
Staff will act as volunteer “patients”, brought in by ambulance or helicopter as they would in a real emergency.
The other nine scenarios will aim to meet international standards for external threats — from natural disasters to human threats — and will involve all emergency services including SAPOL working to ensure the nRAH remains a fully functioning medical oasis in the event of calamity.
The nRAH is designed to withstand earthquakes and can turn to self-sufficient “island-mode” with its own power and water supplies in the event of natural disaster.
Meanwhile Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief operating officer Todd McEwan has quit suddenly for health reasons and will return to NSW, joining a long list of senior SA Health officials to resign in the past two years.
SA Health has appointed former Country Health SA chief operating officer Helen Chalmers in the role for six months.