Disaster Drill

　　My hospital takes care of around 70 hospitalized patients on average. Roughly speaking, 10 on life support, 10 in a vegetative state, 30 almost or fully bedridden and others who can manage to walk by themselves. I don't want to assume a fire could break out after midnight. However, it can happen. The bigger hospitals over a certain level are strictly regulated to hold a fire drill at least once a year. Today, that disaster drill was conducted.
　　In the evacuation drill, you usually take inpatients out of the hospital as soon as possible. You carry them on your shoulder or with makeshift stretchers made of sheets or blankets, and go downstairs.
　　By the way, today's drill was completely different from usual drills. We had to carry them upstairs. Do you know why? Today's drill was against a tsunami.
　　My hospital is located 500 meters away from the seashore facing the Seto Inland Sea and a few meters above sea level, where the possibility of a tsunami is supposed to be extremely rare, but not zero. After last year's big tsunami, lots of refuge areas were assigned to every single neighborhood throughout Japan. The refuge area for my neighborhood is a 30 meter-high hill just behind the hospital. It's the rule to take all the inpatients to the top of the hill in 10 or 20 minutes, but it isn't practical. We alternatively decided to take them on the roof of the hospital by the stairs one by one.
　　Some staff members played the roles of the inpatients. They could move their extremities to make it easy to be transferred and didn't need any respiratory assistance, but in reality, some patients need respiratory assistance and continuous infusions or some can't flex their knees or elbows due to the contracture. Those things would become obstacles to prompt evacuation. Additionally, the evacuation took a far longer time than we expected. We have to engage in exercise and discuss measures to shorten the evacuation time.

(Vocabulary)
bedridden  unable to leave your bed, especially because you are old or ill
contracture  拘縮
obstacle (成功・進展などの) 障害, 妨げ [＋obstacle to]
engage in sth  [句動詞] (フォーマル) ＜活動など＞に従事する, 参加する

(Vocabulary from comments)
realistically  現実的に, 現実を直視して;《文修飾》現実問題として
bother　《常に単数形で》厄介者, 面倒なこと, 悩みの種
plausible　〈説明などが〉もっともらしい, 信憑(しんぴょう)性のある;《通例[名]の前で》妥当な, 有望な
a plausible alternative   妥当な代案 [同意] credible
familiarize sb with sth ＜人＞を＜…＞に慣れさせる
run　《[C]通例単数形で》(失敗・成功などの) 連続, 続き [＋run of]
a run of six consecutive defeats  6連敗
a good/a winning/an unbeaten run  好調続き［連勝，負け知らず］
a run of good/bad luck   幸運［不運］の連続

Comments

[KUMO]

Dear Shiroi_Tora

I appreciate your comment. I'm going to continue to post my trip memo. Enjoy it, please.

[Shiroi Tora]

I am impressed with your honesty at looking at the drill realistically. Some view these important drills as an unnecessary bother. The drill is to see if the plans are plausible under real life conditions...and if any improvements may be made...besides familiarizing the staff to the procedures.

On second thought...I really shouldn't be surprised. You are a doctor. You not only think analytically...you care for your patients. Bravo anyway...it is good to see people care about important things.

You did a very good run of very descriptive and interesting articles on your trip to Canada. I enjoyed the pictures and your personal feelings. I especially liked how you researched the interesting areas (read the associated books on the locations you visited). That must have tremendously improved your enjoyment of each area.

As always...I enjoy your articles. Well done.