Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible, and agencies may only be able to offer palliative care for the aftermath.
While some emergencies are self-evident (such as a natural disaster that threatens many lives), many smaller incidents require that an observer (or affected party) decide whether it qualifies as an emergency. The precise definition of an emergency, the agencies involved, and the procedures used, vary by jurisdiction, and this is usually set by the government, whose agencies (emergency services) are responsible for emergency planning and management.
An incident, to be an emergency, conforms to one or more of the following: if it:
Whilst most emergency services agree on protecting human health, life, and property, the environmental impacts are not considered sufficiently important by some agencies. This also extends to areas such as animal welfare, where some emergency organizations cover this element through the "property" definition, where animals owned by a person are threatened (although this does not cover wild animals). This means that some agencies do not mount an "emergency" response where it endangers wild animals or the environment, though others respond to such incidents (such as oil spills at sea that threaten marine life). The attitude of the agencies involved is likely to reflect the predominant opinion of the government of the area.
While some emergencies are self-evident (such as a natural disaster that threatens many lives), many smaller incidents require that an observer (or affected party) decide whether it qualifies as an emergency. The precise definition of an emergency, the agencies involved, and the procedures used, vary by jurisdiction, and this is usually set by the government, whose agencies (emergency services) are responsible for emergency planning and management.
An incident, to be an emergency, conforms to one or more of the following: if it:
- Poses an immediate threat to life, health, property, or environment.
- Has already caused loss of life, health detriments, property damage, or environmental damage.
- has a high probability of escalating to cause immediate danger to life, health, property, or the environment.
Whilst most emergency services agree on protecting human health, life, and property, the environmental impacts are not considered sufficiently important by some agencies. This also extends to areas such as animal welfare, where some emergency organizations cover this element through the "property" definition, where animals owned by a person are threatened (although this does not cover wild animals). This means that some agencies do not mount an "emergency" response where it endangers wild animals or the environment, though others respond to such incidents (such as oil spills at sea that threaten marine life). The attitude of the agencies involved is likely to reflect the predominant opinion of the government of the area.
Many emergencies cause an immediate danger to the life of people involved. This can range from emergencies affecting a single person, such as the entire range of medical emergencies including heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrest and trauma, to incidents that affect large numbers of people such as natural disasters including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, mudslides and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, Ebola, and malaria.
Most agencies consider these the highest priority emergency, which follows the general school of thought that nothing is more important than human life.
Some emergencies are not necessarily immediately threatening to life, but might have serious implications for the continued health and well-being of a person or persons (though a health emergency can subsequently escalate to life-threatening).
The causes of a health emergency are often very similar to the causes of an emergency threatening to life, which includes medical emergencies and natural disasters, although the range of incidents that can be categorized here is far greater than those that cause a danger to life (such as broken limbs, which do not usually cause death, but immediate intervention is required if the person is to recover properly). Many life emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, are also health emergencies.
Most agencies consider these the highest priority emergency, which follows the general school of thought that nothing is more important than human life.
Some emergencies are not necessarily immediately threatening to life, but might have serious implications for the continued health and well-being of a person or persons (though a health emergency can subsequently escalate to life-threatening).
The causes of a health emergency are often very similar to the causes of an emergency threatening to life, which includes medical emergencies and natural disasters, although the range of incidents that can be categorized here is far greater than those that cause a danger to life (such as broken limbs, which do not usually cause death, but immediate intervention is required if the person is to recover properly). Many life emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, are also health emergencies.
Some emergencies do not immediately endanger life, health or property, but do affect the natural environment and creatures living within it. Not all agencies consider this a genuine emergency, but it can have far-reaching effects on animals and the long term condition of the land. Examples would include forest fires and marine oil spills.
Agencies across the world have different systems for classifying incidents, but all of them serve to help them allocate finite resource, by prioritizing between different emergencies.
The first stage of any classification is likely to define whether the incident qualifies as an emergency, and consequently if it warrants an emergency response. Some agencies may still respond to non-emergency calls, depending on their remit and availability of resource. An example of this would be a fire department responding to help retrieve a cat from a tree, where no life, health or property is immediately at risk.
Following this, many agencies assign a sub-classification to the emergency, prioritizing incidents that have the most potential for risk to life, health or property (in that order). For instance, many ambulance services use a system called the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) or a similar solution. The AMPDS categorizes all calls to the ambulance service using it as either 'A' category (immediately life-threatening), 'B' Category (immediately health threatening) or 'C' category (non-emergency call that still requires a response). Some services have a fourth category, where they believe that no response is required after clinical questions are asked.
Another system for prioritizing medical calls is known as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). Jurisdictions that use EMD typically assign a code of "alpha" (low priority), "bravo" (medium priority), "charlie" (requiring advanced life support), delta (high priority, requiring advanced life support) or "echo" (maximum possible priority, e.g., witnessed cardiac arrests) to each inbound request for service; these codes are then used to determine the appropriate level of response.
Other systems (especially as regards major incidents) use objective measures to direct resource. Two such systems are SAD CHALET and ETHANE, which are both mnemonics to help emergency services staff classify incidents, and direct resource. Each of these acronyms helps ascertain the number of casualties (usually including the number of dead and number of non-injured people involved), how the incident has occurred, and what emergency services are required.
Most developed countries have a number of emergency services operating within them, whose purpose is to provide assistance in dealing with any emergency. They are often government operated, paid for from tax revenue as a public service, but in some cases, they may be private companies, responding to emergencies in return for payment, or they may be voluntary organizations, providing the assistance from funds raised from donations.
Most developed countries operate three core emergency services:
The Military and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) or Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) help in large emergencies such as a disaster or major civil unrest.
Agencies across the world have different systems for classifying incidents, but all of them serve to help them allocate finite resource, by prioritizing between different emergencies.
The first stage of any classification is likely to define whether the incident qualifies as an emergency, and consequently if it warrants an emergency response. Some agencies may still respond to non-emergency calls, depending on their remit and availability of resource. An example of this would be a fire department responding to help retrieve a cat from a tree, where no life, health or property is immediately at risk.
Following this, many agencies assign a sub-classification to the emergency, prioritizing incidents that have the most potential for risk to life, health or property (in that order). For instance, many ambulance services use a system called the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) or a similar solution. The AMPDS categorizes all calls to the ambulance service using it as either 'A' category (immediately life-threatening), 'B' Category (immediately health threatening) or 'C' category (non-emergency call that still requires a response). Some services have a fourth category, where they believe that no response is required after clinical questions are asked.
Another system for prioritizing medical calls is known as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). Jurisdictions that use EMD typically assign a code of "alpha" (low priority), "bravo" (medium priority), "charlie" (requiring advanced life support), delta (high priority, requiring advanced life support) or "echo" (maximum possible priority, e.g., witnessed cardiac arrests) to each inbound request for service; these codes are then used to determine the appropriate level of response.
Other systems (especially as regards major incidents) use objective measures to direct resource. Two such systems are SAD CHALET and ETHANE, which are both mnemonics to help emergency services staff classify incidents, and direct resource. Each of these acronyms helps ascertain the number of casualties (usually including the number of dead and number of non-injured people involved), how the incident has occurred, and what emergency services are required.
Most developed countries have a number of emergency services operating within them, whose purpose is to provide assistance in dealing with any emergency. They are often government operated, paid for from tax revenue as a public service, but in some cases, they may be private companies, responding to emergencies in return for payment, or they may be voluntary organizations, providing the assistance from funds raised from donations.
Most developed countries operate three core emergency services:
- Police – handle mainly crime-related emergencies.
- Fire – handle fire-related emergencies and usually possess secondary rescue duties.
- Medical – handle medical-related emergencies.
The Military and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) or Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) help in large emergencies such as a disaster or major civil unrest.
Most countries have an emergency telephone number, also known as the universal emergency number, which can be used to summon the emergency services to any incident. This number varies from country to country (and in some cases by region within a country), but in most cases, they are in a short number format, such as 911 (United States and many parts of Canada), 999 (United Kingdom), 112 (Europe) and 000(Australia).
The majority of mobile phones also dial the emergency services, even if the phone keyboard is locked, or if the phone has an expired or missing SIM card, although the provision of this service varies by country and network.
In addition to those services provided specifically for emergencies, there may be a number of agencies who provide an emergency service as an incidental part of their normal 'day job' provision. This can include public utility workers, such as in provision of electricity or gas, who may be required to respond quickly, as both utilities have a large potential to cause danger to life, health and property if there is an infrastructure failure
Generally perceived as pay per use emergency services, domestic emergency services are small, medium or large businesses who tend to emergencies within the boundaries of licensing or capabilities. These tend to consist of emergencies where health or property is perceived to be at risk but may not qualify for official emergency response. Domestic emergency services are in principal similar to civil emergency services where public or private utility workers will perform corrective repairs to essential services and avail their service at all times; however, these are at a cost for the service. An example would be an emergency plumber
Emergency action principles are key 'rules' that guide the actions of rescuers and potential rescuers. Because of the inherent nature of emergencies, no two are likely to be the same, so emergency action principles help to guide rescuers at incidents, by sticking to some basic tenets.
The adherence to (and contents of) the principles by would-be rescuers varies widely based on the training the people involved in emergency have received, the support available from emergency services (and the time it takes to arrive) and the emergency itself.
The key principle taught in almost all systems is that the rescuer, be they a lay person or a professional, should assess the situation for danger.
The reason that an assessment for danger is given such high priority is that it is core to emergency management that rescuers do not become secondary victims of any incident, as this creates a further emergency that must be dealt with.
A typical assessment for danger would involve observation of the surroundings, starting with the cause of the accident (e.g. a falling object) and expanding outwards to include any situational hazards (e.g. fast moving traffic) and history or secondary information given by witnesses, bystanders or the emergency services (e.g. an attacker still waiting nearby).
Once a primary danger assessment has been complete, this should not end the system of checking for danger, but should inform all other parts of the process.
If at any time the risk from any hazard poses a significant danger (as a factor of likelihood and seriousness) to the rescuer, they should consider whether they should approach the scene (or leave the scene if appropriate).
There are many emergency services protocols that apply in an emergency, which usually start with planning before an emergency occurs. One commonly used system for demonstrating the phases is shown here on the right.
The planning phase starts at preparedness, where the agencies decide how to respond to a given incident or set of circumstances. This should ideally include lines of command and control, and division of activities between agencies. This avoids potentially negative situations such as three separate agencies all starting an official emergency shelter for victims of a disaster.
Following an emergency occurring, the agencies then move to a response phase, where they execute their plans, and may end up improvising some areas of their response (due to gaps in the planning phase, which are inevitable due to the individual nature of most incidents).
Agencies may then be involved in recovery following the incident, where they assist in the clear up from the incident, or help the people involved overcome their mental trauma.
The final phase in the circle is mitigation, which involves taking steps to ensure no re-occurrence is possible, or putting additional plans in place to ensure less damage is done. This should feed back into the preparedness stage, with updated plans in place to deal with future emergencies, thus completing the circle.
The majority of mobile phones also dial the emergency services, even if the phone keyboard is locked, or if the phone has an expired or missing SIM card, although the provision of this service varies by country and network.
In addition to those services provided specifically for emergencies, there may be a number of agencies who provide an emergency service as an incidental part of their normal 'day job' provision. This can include public utility workers, such as in provision of electricity or gas, who may be required to respond quickly, as both utilities have a large potential to cause danger to life, health and property if there is an infrastructure failure
Generally perceived as pay per use emergency services, domestic emergency services are small, medium or large businesses who tend to emergencies within the boundaries of licensing or capabilities. These tend to consist of emergencies where health or property is perceived to be at risk but may not qualify for official emergency response. Domestic emergency services are in principal similar to civil emergency services where public or private utility workers will perform corrective repairs to essential services and avail their service at all times; however, these are at a cost for the service. An example would be an emergency plumber
Emergency action principles are key 'rules' that guide the actions of rescuers and potential rescuers. Because of the inherent nature of emergencies, no two are likely to be the same, so emergency action principles help to guide rescuers at incidents, by sticking to some basic tenets.
The adherence to (and contents of) the principles by would-be rescuers varies widely based on the training the people involved in emergency have received, the support available from emergency services (and the time it takes to arrive) and the emergency itself.
The key principle taught in almost all systems is that the rescuer, be they a lay person or a professional, should assess the situation for danger.
The reason that an assessment for danger is given such high priority is that it is core to emergency management that rescuers do not become secondary victims of any incident, as this creates a further emergency that must be dealt with.
A typical assessment for danger would involve observation of the surroundings, starting with the cause of the accident (e.g. a falling object) and expanding outwards to include any situational hazards (e.g. fast moving traffic) and history or secondary information given by witnesses, bystanders or the emergency services (e.g. an attacker still waiting nearby).
Once a primary danger assessment has been complete, this should not end the system of checking for danger, but should inform all other parts of the process.
If at any time the risk from any hazard poses a significant danger (as a factor of likelihood and seriousness) to the rescuer, they should consider whether they should approach the scene (or leave the scene if appropriate).
There are many emergency services protocols that apply in an emergency, which usually start with planning before an emergency occurs. One commonly used system for demonstrating the phases is shown here on the right.
The planning phase starts at preparedness, where the agencies decide how to respond to a given incident or set of circumstances. This should ideally include lines of command and control, and division of activities between agencies. This avoids potentially negative situations such as three separate agencies all starting an official emergency shelter for victims of a disaster.
Following an emergency occurring, the agencies then move to a response phase, where they execute their plans, and may end up improvising some areas of their response (due to gaps in the planning phase, which are inevitable due to the individual nature of most incidents).
Agencies may then be involved in recovery following the incident, where they assist in the clear up from the incident, or help the people involved overcome their mental trauma.
The final phase in the circle is mitigation, which involves taking steps to ensure no re-occurrence is possible, or putting additional plans in place to ensure less damage is done. This should feed back into the preparedness stage, with updated plans in place to deal with future emergencies, thus completing the circle.
In the event of a major incident, such as civil unrest or a major disaster, many governments maintain the right to declare a state of emergency, which gives them extensive powers over the daily lives of their citizens, and may include temporary curtailment on certain civil rights, including the right to trial. For instance to discourage looting of an evacuated area, a shoot on sight policy, however unlikely to occur, may be publicized.
Emergency is a humanitarian NGO that provides free medical treatment to the victims of war, poverty and landmines. It was founded in 1994. Gino Strada, one of the organization's co-founders, serves as EMERGENCY's Executive Director.
EMERGENCY has treated over 9 million patients since its inception. The organization has active operations in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Italy, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda.
EMERGENCY operates based on the premise that access to high-quality healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Projects usually involve the construction, support, and operation of permanent hospitals. Gino Strada and the co-founders aim was to bring free of charge, high-quality medical and surgical assistance to war victims. Over time, their humanitarian projects assumed a broader view, with the charity now providing specialist and ongoing medical care, including maternity services and open-heart surgery, in locations that require these facilities and expertise. The Anabah Maternity Centre in Anabah, Afghanistan and the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan, are examples of EMERGENCY's focus on tertiary level care.
Alongside its medical activities, EMERGENCY promotes a culture of peace and solidarity.
EMERGENCY was recognized as a Non-profit Organization in 1998, and received jurisdictional approval as a Non-Governmental Organization in 1999. EMERGENCY has been an official partner of the United Nations Department of Public Information since 2006, and a special consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2015.
EMERGENCY builds hospitals, trains local staff, and provides medical assistance to victims of war and poverty. Its vision of healthcare provision is rooted in the principles of equality, quality and social responsibility. On the basis of these values, EMERGENCY advocates that:
EMERGENCY begins operations in a specific region or country based on two major factors: the need for specialized medical assistance from the local population, and the absence of similar humanitarian projects in that given country. Once a project is initiated, specialized international personnel construct and operate high-quality facilities, as well as first aid posts, and health centres for basic medical assistance. EMERGENCY also deals with endemic diseases such as polio and malaria and provides basic health care in these circumstances, as well as establishing social development projects, not only in war-torn areas, but also in high poverty regions. Since 2005, it has worked in Italy to provide healthcare to marginalized groups and communities. All of EMERGENCY's facilities are dedicated to training local staff so that they may eventually take over the running of operations from the NGO’s international personnel.
EMERGENCY builds and manages:
Emergency is a humanitarian NGO that provides free medical treatment to the victims of war, poverty and landmines. It was founded in 1994. Gino Strada, one of the organization's co-founders, serves as EMERGENCY's Executive Director.
EMERGENCY has treated over 9 million patients since its inception. The organization has active operations in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Italy, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Uganda.
EMERGENCY operates based on the premise that access to high-quality healthcare is a fundamental human right.
Projects usually involve the construction, support, and operation of permanent hospitals. Gino Strada and the co-founders aim was to bring free of charge, high-quality medical and surgical assistance to war victims. Over time, their humanitarian projects assumed a broader view, with the charity now providing specialist and ongoing medical care, including maternity services and open-heart surgery, in locations that require these facilities and expertise. The Anabah Maternity Centre in Anabah, Afghanistan and the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan, are examples of EMERGENCY's focus on tertiary level care.
Alongside its medical activities, EMERGENCY promotes a culture of peace and solidarity.
EMERGENCY was recognized as a Non-profit Organization in 1998, and received jurisdictional approval as a Non-Governmental Organization in 1999. EMERGENCY has been an official partner of the United Nations Department of Public Information since 2006, and a special consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2015.
EMERGENCY builds hospitals, trains local staff, and provides medical assistance to victims of war and poverty. Its vision of healthcare provision is rooted in the principles of equality, quality and social responsibility. On the basis of these values, EMERGENCY advocates that:
- each and every human being has the fundamental right to medical treatment;
- that governments around the world must allocate more resources towards providing high quality healthcare;
- and that universal access to medicine can serves as an opportunity to promote the fundamental values of solidarity and peace.
EMERGENCY begins operations in a specific region or country based on two major factors: the need for specialized medical assistance from the local population, and the absence of similar humanitarian projects in that given country. Once a project is initiated, specialized international personnel construct and operate high-quality facilities, as well as first aid posts, and health centres for basic medical assistance. EMERGENCY also deals with endemic diseases such as polio and malaria and provides basic health care in these circumstances, as well as establishing social development projects, not only in war-torn areas, but also in high poverty regions. Since 2005, it has worked in Italy to provide healthcare to marginalized groups and communities. All of EMERGENCY's facilities are dedicated to training local staff so that they may eventually take over the running of operations from the NGO’s international personnel.
EMERGENCY builds and manages:
- Hospitals specifically dedicated to war victims and surgical emergencies;
- Physical and social rehabilitation centers;
- First aid centers for emergency treatment and to refer patients to surgical centers;
- Healthcare centers for primary medical assistance;
- Pediatric clinics;
- Maternity centers;
- Outpatient clinics and mobile clinics for migrants and people in need;
- Centers of medical excellence
The aim of EMERGENCY’s humanitarian projects and missions is to transfer long-term project management to local healthcare authorities, as long as the two core aspects of EMERGENCY’s activities, high-quality and free assistance, are guaranteed. On the basis of this aim, EMERGENCY has employed thousands of local staff in the countries they operate to cover both medical and non-medical positions. The organization provides both theoretical and practical training and EMERGENCY considers this an integral part of its programs.
Afghanistan
EMERGENCY has been working in Afghanistan since 2000, when the organization began renovating and expanding a former nursery school in the center of the capital, Kabul, which had been destroyed by a rocket. In April 2001, this structure re-opened as a Surgical Center for victims of war and landmines. Since then, over 36,000 patients have been admitted to the facility.
EMERGENCY also runs a Surgical Center in Lashkar-Gah; the only free, specialized facility in the Helmand Province and in the remote areas surrounding it with first aid posts, where wounded patients are stabilized before being transferred to the main hospital by ambulance.
EMERGENCY operates two centers in the district of Anabah, Panjshir Valley: a medical-surgical center opened in 1999 and a maternity center opened in 2003. Similarly to other projects, EMERGENCY has established a network of First Aid Posts and Primary Health Clinics connected to the center.
Central African Republic
EMERGENCY currently operates two projects in Central African Republic. The Bangui Pediatric Center was built in 2009 and provides free healthcare for children up to the age of 14, 24 hours a day. The center also organizes numerous outreach programs, including health promotion for families and training for local medical staff.
Italy
EMERGENCY has been working with migrants, refugees and disadvantaged individuals in Italy since 2005. Through a network of Outpatient clinics (located in Palermo, Polistena, Marghera, Castel Volturno, Naples), the NGO has provided over 210,000 consultations.
EMERGENCY also runs Mobile Clinics across Italy, which are intended to provide healthcare in places were access to public facilities is limited, including farming areas, refugee and migrant reception centers, and Roma camps. The Mobile Clinics are housed in converted buses, minivans and lorries that serve Apulia, Emilia Romagna, Sicilia, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria.
Iraq
EMERGENCY has been established in Iraq since 1995, primarily treating victims of landmines left over from the 1981-1988 conflict. The Sulaimaniya Rehabilitation and Social Integration Center provides physiotherapy, the fitting of prostheses for amputees, and vocational training courses.
In 2017, EMERGENCY reestablished operations at the surgical center in Erbil that it had handed over to local authorities in 2005. The decision was taken due to the hospital's proximity to the Battle for Mosul. Throughout the year, the organization provided free medical assistance to casualties of war and underwent extensive renovations, increasing its original bed capacity. As the acute phase of fighting ended, the hospital was handed back to be run by local authorities. EMERGENCY performed 1,749 surgical operations during its intervention, mainly for bullet and shell injuries.
In light of the ongoing refugee and internal migration crisis, EMERGENCY operates healthcare clinics in refugee and IDP camps in northern Iraq.
Sierra Leone
Over the past 20 years, Sierra Leone has endured a bloody civil war, causing at least 75,000 deaths, and the Ebola crisis, which began in May 2014. In response to the Ebola crisis, EMERGENCY staff were trained in containing the spread of the disease at their established surgical and pediatric center in Goderich. With the virus spreading rapidly, EMERGENCY opened an intensive care unit for Ebola patients - the only facility of its kind in Sierra Leone. As hospitals were overwhelmed, the EMERGENCY center was the only surgical and pediatric center to remain open in the entire country.
Sudan
EMERGENCY’s largest project in Sudan is the Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery in the capital, Khartoum. In view of the high incidence of heart disease in African countries and the lack of adequate health care standards, the Salam Center offers specialized heart surgery, with the aim of its establishment as a regional center for cardiac surgery serving the people of Sudan and the nine bordering countries: Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The organization also runs a free pediatric center within the Mayo Refugee camp, on the outskirts of Khartoum since December 2005, and in Port Sudan since 2011.
Uganda
In 2017, construction work began on the Centre of Excellence in Pediatric Surgery in Entebbe, on the banks of Lake Victoria, 35 kilometers from the Ugandan capital Kampala.
The hospital will offer free treatment and be a referral for Ugandan patients as well as children from all over Africa in need of surgery. One of its main aims is to help reduce infant mortality in Uganda and neighboring countries, as part of the African Network of Medical Excellence (ANME). The ANME was created in 2009 to develop free medical systems of excellent quality. The hospital in Entebbe will be the second project in the network, after the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan.
'A Culture of Peace'
Volunteers, medical and non-medical staff contribute to promoting a culture of peace, solidarity, and awareness and respect of human rights.
Volunteers in Italy and abroad constitute a great part of EMERGENCY's work, organizing a wide range of events for the fundraising that allows the organization to operate in various countries.
Afghanistan
EMERGENCY has been working in Afghanistan since 2000, when the organization began renovating and expanding a former nursery school in the center of the capital, Kabul, which had been destroyed by a rocket. In April 2001, this structure re-opened as a Surgical Center for victims of war and landmines. Since then, over 36,000 patients have been admitted to the facility.
EMERGENCY also runs a Surgical Center in Lashkar-Gah; the only free, specialized facility in the Helmand Province and in the remote areas surrounding it with first aid posts, where wounded patients are stabilized before being transferred to the main hospital by ambulance.
EMERGENCY operates two centers in the district of Anabah, Panjshir Valley: a medical-surgical center opened in 1999 and a maternity center opened in 2003. Similarly to other projects, EMERGENCY has established a network of First Aid Posts and Primary Health Clinics connected to the center.
Central African Republic
EMERGENCY currently operates two projects in Central African Republic. The Bangui Pediatric Center was built in 2009 and provides free healthcare for children up to the age of 14, 24 hours a day. The center also organizes numerous outreach programs, including health promotion for families and training for local medical staff.
Italy
EMERGENCY has been working with migrants, refugees and disadvantaged individuals in Italy since 2005. Through a network of Outpatient clinics (located in Palermo, Polistena, Marghera, Castel Volturno, Naples), the NGO has provided over 210,000 consultations.
EMERGENCY also runs Mobile Clinics across Italy, which are intended to provide healthcare in places were access to public facilities is limited, including farming areas, refugee and migrant reception centers, and Roma camps. The Mobile Clinics are housed in converted buses, minivans and lorries that serve Apulia, Emilia Romagna, Sicilia, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria.
Iraq
EMERGENCY has been established in Iraq since 1995, primarily treating victims of landmines left over from the 1981-1988 conflict. The Sulaimaniya Rehabilitation and Social Integration Center provides physiotherapy, the fitting of prostheses for amputees, and vocational training courses.
In 2017, EMERGENCY reestablished operations at the surgical center in Erbil that it had handed over to local authorities in 2005. The decision was taken due to the hospital's proximity to the Battle for Mosul. Throughout the year, the organization provided free medical assistance to casualties of war and underwent extensive renovations, increasing its original bed capacity. As the acute phase of fighting ended, the hospital was handed back to be run by local authorities. EMERGENCY performed 1,749 surgical operations during its intervention, mainly for bullet and shell injuries.
In light of the ongoing refugee and internal migration crisis, EMERGENCY operates healthcare clinics in refugee and IDP camps in northern Iraq.
Sierra Leone
Over the past 20 years, Sierra Leone has endured a bloody civil war, causing at least 75,000 deaths, and the Ebola crisis, which began in May 2014. In response to the Ebola crisis, EMERGENCY staff were trained in containing the spread of the disease at their established surgical and pediatric center in Goderich. With the virus spreading rapidly, EMERGENCY opened an intensive care unit for Ebola patients - the only facility of its kind in Sierra Leone. As hospitals were overwhelmed, the EMERGENCY center was the only surgical and pediatric center to remain open in the entire country.
Sudan
EMERGENCY’s largest project in Sudan is the Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery in the capital, Khartoum. In view of the high incidence of heart disease in African countries and the lack of adequate health care standards, the Salam Center offers specialized heart surgery, with the aim of its establishment as a regional center for cardiac surgery serving the people of Sudan and the nine bordering countries: Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The organization also runs a free pediatric center within the Mayo Refugee camp, on the outskirts of Khartoum since December 2005, and in Port Sudan since 2011.
Uganda
In 2017, construction work began on the Centre of Excellence in Pediatric Surgery in Entebbe, on the banks of Lake Victoria, 35 kilometers from the Ugandan capital Kampala.
The hospital will offer free treatment and be a referral for Ugandan patients as well as children from all over Africa in need of surgery. One of its main aims is to help reduce infant mortality in Uganda and neighboring countries, as part of the African Network of Medical Excellence (ANME). The ANME was created in 2009 to develop free medical systems of excellent quality. The hospital in Entebbe will be the second project in the network, after the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan.
'A Culture of Peace'
Volunteers, medical and non-medical staff contribute to promoting a culture of peace, solidarity, and awareness and respect of human rights.
Volunteers in Italy and abroad constitute a great part of EMERGENCY's work, organizing a wide range of events for the fundraising that allows the organization to operate in various countries.