9 June 2010
Alice Springs Hospital's emergency plan will undergo another round of routine testing at 8am on Wednesday June 9, 2010 when operating theatre staff will take part in a mock evacuation of the operating unit.Scheduled to be held when surgery is not being conducted, the lifelike exercise will involve simulated alarms and smoke, and is designed to test the processes of evacuating patients and staff in the event of a fire.
The mock evacuation is a practical follow-up to regular education sessions and fire training undertaken by theatre staff.
More than 20 hospital employees will take part in the evacuation, including Dr Jacob Jacob, Director of Surgery, who says the exercise is consistent with national safety guidelines at all Australian hospitals.
Alice Springs Hospital is recognised as one of Australia's leading regional facilities, servicing the acute care needs of both the busy town and the far flung communities of the vast Central Australian area. In the past year, the hospital registered close to 40,000 presentations at its emergency department. Annually it conducts around 3000 emergency procedures, as well as 7500 elective surgeries.
Media contact: Robin Osborne 0488 692 781
