The D.C. Department of Health practiced medical emergency responsiveness yesterday in Bender Arena by simulating a medical distribution clinic to treat an outbreak of pandemic influenza.
In the simulation, student volunteers, AU faculty and staff members acted as patients who could have potentially come in contact with an infected person. Volunteers came throughout the day. The DOH site manager for the simulation, Kia King, said from beginning to end, it only takes about 10 minutes to fill out the needed paperwork and receive medication.
Upon arrival, DOH administrative personnel, easily identifiable by bright orange vests and name tags, asked volunteers if they were feeling ill or were experiencing any coughing, sneezing or pain. They then directed the volunteers to a sitting area to fill out a short form about family medical history and medical allergies.
Once volunteers completed their paperwork, officials directed them to the medicine distribution table, where they received the simulated medication to treat the pandemic in the form of M&Ms and Skittles. The administrative officials also distributed information to the "patients" about symptoms of the pandemic and instructions on how to use the allotted medications.
Overall, student and faculty reaction to the response plan was positive.
Kiersten Batzli, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thought the simulation was well-run and organized.
"It's good to know that the school and DOH professionals are well-practiced and capable of administering medication in an emergency," Batzli said. "Everyone was really calm and under control, and the DOH was very helpful."
While the simulation is helpful to show students and faculty what to do, in a real emergency, things would happen differently, King said.
"In the case of an actual medical emergency, it would take about an hour or two to get the medicine distribution clinic set up and then the DOH could start treatment immediately," King said. "While we cannot force anyone to take medication, the DOH would provide all the necessary medication and services for free."
Public Safety officers were also on site to assist the DOH. Sgt. Maurice Carter said Public Safety handles the logistics of the distribution by making sure the DOH has an adequate location to distribute medicine. Once the site is assembled, the DOH takes over, but Public Safety officers stay to help maintain order and keep everyone calm.
If there was an actual outbreak, there would be a dramatic increase in the number of patients, and the distribution center would likely be more chaotic. However, the clinic is designed to serve the masses and deal with commotion, Carter said.
Linay Foreman, a staff member at AU, said the distribution center was run very smoothly and she had no difficulties understanding any of the instructions given by officials. She said it was so well run they had someone to walk you along every step of the way.
