Evaluation of Emergency Medical Resource Allocation in Ilan County by Simulating Rescue of Severe Traffic Accidents

• Main Authors: Chia-Liang Lin, 林佳良
• Other Authors: Howard Hwang, D. Eng.
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/36122182251690371830

碩士 === 國立宜蘭大學 === 建築與永續規劃研究所碩士班 === 97 === The beautiful scenery in Ilan County attracts many visitors particularly in the weekends. After the bus is allowed to drive through the Hsuehshan Tunnel, which is the fifth longest road tunnel in the world, even more visitors are allured to Ilan County. The increase of traffic volumes inadvertently raises the chance of traffic accidents. If a severe traffic accident occurs, it may result in heavy casualties. Therefore, it is important that an injured person can be treated quickly in Ilan County. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the suitability of emergency medical resource allocation in Ilan County by evaluating capabilities of handling heavy casualties caused by severe traffic accidents. In this study, we gather basic data of all ambulances and emergency hospitals in Ilan County. Using a Geographic-Information-System software, we establish a database of Emergency Medical Service System in Ilan County. By taking the rescue of train collision in DaLi and the standard operating procedure of emergency medical rescue in Ilan County as references, we establish the emergency medical rescue procedure of handling heavy casualties in a severe traffic accident in Ilan County. We assign four severe traffic accidents caused by a collision of two buses and we estimate the resulting casualties for these accidents. On the basis of the best route and average speed of an ambulance, we estimate the waiting time for an ambulance by an injured person and the travel time for an ambulance to reach an emergency hospital. Then, we compare the simulated results with the emergency medical rescue efficiency indices to determine the suitability of emergency medical resource allocation in Ilan County. The simulation results indicate that the emergency medical resource allocation in Ilan County is suitable, except in Toucheng, Datung, and Nanau Townships. Therefore, we propose suggest the following recommendations to improve the emergency medical resource allocation in these three areas: 1.Because the waiting time for an ambulance by an injured person is too long, we suggest additional ambulances to be located at police stations in Toucheng, Datung, and Nanau Townships. The new ambulances may be donated by charitable and/or civil groups and the volunteers may be substituted for first-aid persons to drive the ambulances. This recommendation will improve the time required by an injured person to be taken to an emergency hospital in these areas. 2.There are no emergency hospitals in Datung and Nanau Townships. As a result, the travel time required by an ambulance to reach an emergency hospital is too long Thus, we suggest that the public health centers in these two areas should be strengthened and the assistance may be provised by other emergency hospitals, thus, these public health centers in these areas may be able to provide emergency medical treatments during holidays and at midnight at these facilities. 3.When an accident occurrs in Toucheng and Jiaosi Townships, the Xinghe Hospital in Jiaosi is the first emergency hospital to receive injured persons. However, the capabilities of treating injured persons in the Xinghe Hospital is insufficient; thus, we suggest that other hospitals in Toucheng area may be improved to become an emergency hospital or a new emergency hospital may be established in Toucheng area with the assistance provided by governments.