Mass Casualty Incident simulation at Dubai Women’s College

Dubai Women’s College (DWC) organized the seventh Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation. Both male and female students studying Paramedics, Medical Imaging, Pharmacy and Applied Communications took part in the simulation. They were joined by medics from local clinics. Paramedic teams from Le Royal Meridien, Grosvenor House and the Jumeirah Group as well as Dubai Corporation of Ambulance Services, Dubai Police and the Dubai Civil Defence from Al Qusais also participated in the event. Emergency Doctors manned the hospital and received the many ‘injured patients’.

The simulated context was the aftermath of an airplane crash and 16 staff from DWC enacted as victims suffering from minor to critical injuries.  The Paramedic students who are trained to handle such situations transported patients from the scene of the accident to a “hospital” in another area of the campus, where they used emergency medical techniques to treat the patients before sending them on to Medical Imaging students to carry out radiography procedures. The Pharmacy students were involved in the dispensing of medication, while the Applied Communications students practiced their journalism, TV coverage and still photography skills.

Mr. Ronald Blough, the program leader commented on the importance of running such simulations to allow the students to apply the incident management systems that they have been taught. “This year’s event was special as the participation of private and public sectors in the simulation added value and realism to our practical training,” he added.

The Higher Colleges of Technology – Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Paramedic program follows international standards and allows UAE National students to study in the UAE while enrolled in an American EMT-Paramedic program. The program is sponsored by Dubai Corporation of Ambulance Services.