Wars Disaster Medical Support Management
Written by Anam Hussain
Definition:
War can be defined as actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities and is therefore defined as a form of collective political violence.
Ware is defined as a disaster because:
- Of the great number of casualties that result from war activities, due to the use an implementation of advanced technologies to cause great harm to the opposing forces.
- Material damages which result from attempts to impede opposing forces from movement and supplies needed for continuation of their resistance
- Disparity between available and required means and capabilities
- Requirement for external assistance: because medical capabilities cannot be found on the frontline so assistance is required
- Requirement for urgent measures towards consequences
Theories regarding the origin of war:
- Social: theory which states that every society has to gain existence by defeating others
- Psychological: theory that states that war is declared as a normal state of psychological and mental development. That there is a duty for the most powerful to lead and punish when the less powerful disobey
- Malthus and his followers stated war was necessary to reduce the constantly growing population in order to save the existing population from calamities such as famine
- Hunger of the youngsters:
- Prevalence of foreign and domestic policies: theories which state that war is a consequence of policies driven by the desire to prove superiority over others, or as an attempt to solve matters of internal security
Damaging factors:
- Thermal→ due to fires from bombs
- Chemical→due to use of chemical weapons
- Radiological → due to use of nuclear/radiological weapons
- Biological→ due to jeopardized supplies and forced increase in population, epidemics
- Psychological→stress, shock, panic, grief
- Blast waves
The AOD is a combined area of damage due to mechanical and blast wave DFs affect on the fighting forces.
DMS particularities in case of war
- All operations including DMS tasks are led by military commanders
- Commander’s orders are not subject for discussion
- On the battlefield where many casualties are expected to be found, search and rescue operations are carried out by trained combat saviours, equipped for enhanced first aid provision
- First aid is provided by specialised search and rescue team. 1st step is to localise the wounded. 2nd step is to reach those injured who are under constant threat of being targeted. 3rd step to stop bleeding. 4th step to evacuate casualty to safer place