Dispatched into disaster: a qualitative study on medical rescue teams’ personnel’s preparation, mobilization, and field living conditions after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Effective disaster response requires both well-prepared medical rescue teams and resilient early-phase logistics. OBJECTIVES: This study examined how medical rescue teams' personnel prepared, mobilized, and maintained field living conditions after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, aiming to generate practice- and policy-oriented recommendations. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenological design with purposive maximum-variation sampling (n = 12) was utilized. Semi-structured online interviews underwent thematic analysis. Reporting adhered to COREQ standards. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent secured. RESULTS: Three themes emerged. (A) Team Structure and Personnel Characteristics: Professional diversity enhanced capacity only when roles were explicit and leadership was visible; inconsistent training and leader ambiguity created tension. (B) Assignment, Preparedness, and Deployment Process: Notification and assembly often relied on informal channels (e.g., messaging apps); mission orders and destinations were unclear; winter hazards and traffic impeded deployment; initial 3-7 day rotations were perceived as most effective. (C) Base-of-operations and logistics: Early shelter, heating, nutrition, and hygiene support were inadequate, with privacy and sanitation being major challenges, but these improved as institutional logistics scaled up. CONCLUSIONS: The performance in the early phase can be strengthened by standardized pre-deployment checklists and mission orders, dual leadership including an experienced member, short initial rotations, and minimum living-condition standards. Competency-based modular training, regular drills, and mandatory after-action reviews are further recommended to institutionalize learning.
Source: BMC Emergency Medicine
Author: Ramazan Aslan
Institution: Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medical Services
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,790
OpenAlex ID: W7117463579