Experiences, gained during deliveries of the complete field hospitals

A complete turn-key field hospital represents one of NORMECA`s primary products.

This implies the following:

	- Complete solutions with necessary infrastructure as electricity, light, heat, air-condition, kitchen, food, water supply, showers, toilets, etc.
	- Making ready for use a standard solution, NorHosp, takes not more than 48 hours.
	- Transportation to the site of use.
	- Establishing, training, following up and starting of supply.

We will give two examples of such deliveries:
1. GUJARAT in INDIA – right after the earth quake in January, 2001.
2. BAGLAN-province in Afghanistan after the earth quake in Mars 2002.

INDIA

About 13.00 o’clock a.m. on the same day as the earth quake occurred, NORMECA A/S received the order from the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS). The day after, at 06.00 o’clock in the morning all the equipment was made ready for transportation by air from Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. In the afternoon of the same day two representatives from NORMECA A/S left for New Delhi together with the equipment. In New Delhi the two persons` team from NORMECA organized customs clearance and further transporting by air to Buhj in the catastrophe area and also arranged arrival for the team from JRCS.

In the Buhj-area our team arranged certain number of working hands and reconnoitring together with organizing of reloading of the equipment, transportation, temporary billeting, etc.

Few hours after the establishing place had been decided, our hospital started working.

The days to follow were used to some improvements, training of the JRCS team and local employers, and also to organizing of the supply of water, food and fuel.

As far as we know, NORMECA A/S was the first extern running hospital in the catastrophe area.

From the first day the hospital treated approx. 100 – 130 patients per day, most of these as out-patients. Hard damaged and sick persons were evacuated to the hospitals run by the Finnish / Norwegian Red Cross in Buhj. During our staying in India we also received orders regarding further delivery of one more hospital – to the Medical Relief Unit (MeRU). This hospital was established in the town Rapar, about 180 km north-east for Buhj. After this operation in India JRCS decided to purchase one hospital for preparedness storage at NORMECA A/S.

According to the contract between NORMECA A/S and JRCS, NORMECA A/S should arrange for the hospital to be transported to and started running at the actual effort site.

The hospital was ready for setting in the service from the summer 2001.


AFGHANISTAN

		Also this delivery was executed for The Japanese Red Cross Society.The assumptions for this delivery were somewhat different, since we had about two weeks at our disposal for making all necessary preparations. It was just the case when the hospital stored for preparedness should be used, but we required some additional equipment - both medical and supporting material. The transportation was carried out by trailer transport from NORMECA`s warehouse to Billund in Denmark and further by charter flight Iljushin 76 directly to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan. All reloading, arrival of the JRCS team and transportation to the earth quake area was arranged in collaboration with the

International Red Cross Federation` sub office in Mazar-i-Sharif. The hospital was set up in Nharin area in Baghlan-province, approx. 260 km. from Mazar-i-Sharif.

Both setting up and starting of the hospital was quite quick and problem-free. This was thanks to the planning- and preparation work we have done earlier in connection with preparedness storage. From the first day the hospital treated about 80 – 90 patients of all categories.
Both medical and technical running worked quite satisfactory and in accordance with the plans.




EXPERIENCES FROM INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN

1. Both “operations” demonstrated that NORMECA A/S is able to deliver complete solutions when the users need nothing more besides their personal luggage when leaving their home land.

2. The equipment is user friendly and organized in such a way, that the training is simple and it can be arranged at the same time with the establishing and running.

3. It is very important to take the medical needs and ambitions into consideration and contemplate them in accordance with the material capacity.

4. These two examples showed that everything has to be considered and nothing must be forgotten. However the following services and supplies can be planned at the site where the hospital is to be put into service:

	o Local employees as interpreters, health personnel and workers.
	o Transportation.
	o Fuel, water, and food.

5. For the sake of health personnel’s endurance and efficiency the comfort
has to be at the reasonable level, including billeting, hygiene, etc.

EXPERIENCES FROM THAILAND

From jungle to forensic camp in 15 days

All work from start to finish has been the responsibility of and under the supervision of NORMECA AS. In addition, NORMECA AS has the operational responsibility for maintenance and servicing of the centre the first three months. Thus, NORMECA AS will have a minimum of two Norwegian employees present during this period. NORMECA AS has furthermore employed more than 35 people locally to take care of daily cleaning, cantina for up till 160 people for lunch and 100 people for dinner, service and maintenance of the air conditioning and gradually more than 100 cooling containers in addition to 24/7 security for the centre.

See the picture diary(pdf)

EXPERIENCES FROM PAKISTAN

In October 2005 a heavy earth quake hit several areas in Pakistan. Straight after it Normeca AS has got an inquiry from Cuba’s authorities for supplying of a field hospital based on tents that should be run by a Cuban medical team. This hospital has been delivered in Muzaffarabad. During the first months of 2006 Normeca AS has also delivered a field hospital in Hattian Bala, Pakistan, for Medecins Sans Frontieres based on flat pack containers. This hospital included operating theatre, ICU, doctors’ office, pharmacy, laboratory, blood bank, shower and toilets. The delivery was complete with generator, heating and cooling plants, water purifying system, etc.