DISASTER MEDICINE No. 4 •2025

https://doi.org/10.33266/2070-1004-2025-4

Original article

Exercises – the Main Mechanism for Increasing the Readiness of the Regional Level Disaster Medical Service to Eliminate the Medical and Sanitary Consequences of Large-Scale Emergencies with a Large Number of Victims

Plutnitskiy A.N. 1, Kulikova I.B. 1, Osipov A.V. 2, Kakurin O.V. 2, Velichko E.A. 2, Isaeva I.V. 2, Gashigullina I.V. 2, Anchokov Yu.Yu. 2, Evmenova A.O. 2

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1 Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation

2 Federal Center for Disaster Medicine of National Medical and Surgical Center named after N.I.Pirogov, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation

UDC 614.2:614.8

Р. 14-19

 

Summary. The purpose of the study to show the necessity and importance of regularly conducting various types of DMS exercises as the main tool for training DMS specialists of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the regions to provide medical assistance to emergency victims.

Materials and methods of research. The sources of information during the study were the current regulatory and methodological documents of the All–Russian Disaster Medicine Service, the DMS, minutes of interdepartmental meetings, interregional and federal agreements on emergency response; materials from the materials of tactical-special, command-staff exercises and staff training, materials from the work of the TCMK in the information systems of the DMS.

Research methods: analytical, statistical, direct observation method, logical and information modeling.

The results of the study and their analysis.  The study of the consolidated data in the DMS information systems made it possible to establish the fact of an increase in the number of exercises and trainings conducted annually by the DMS at the regional level, which indicates the interest of managers and specialists in increasing the level of readiness of specialists to eliminate the medical and sanitary consequences of various emergencies. Man-made emergency exercises are most often conducted, at the same time, the number of social and biological-social emergency exercises has increased.

One third of all regional-level DMS exercises are interdepartmental, which make it possible to work out interactions in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies with a large number of victims. An analysis of the exercises organized and conducted with the participation of the Federal Center for Disaster Medicine (FCDM) revealed a number of the most common mistakes: the lack of understanding by the head of the DMS of the region and medical organizations of their tasks and functions; overestimation of the capabilities of the forces and means of the DMS of the subject of the Russian Federation, lack of interregional and interdepartmental interaction; underestimation of the severity of the victims; lack of forecasting of emergency development; lack of coordination between participants exercises from other departments, etc.

Conclusions. Various types of exercises and trainings are the main mechanisms for increasing the readiness of the forces and means of the DMS of the regions to act in large-scale emergencies with a large number of victims, contributing to the development of algorithms for actions and interactions of various specialists, checking the skills of personnel, the readiness of equipment and equipment, as well as identifying existing problems in the system of medical care for emergency victims. Regular exercises ensure an increase in the readiness of the DMS in all operating conditions.

Keywords: exercises, health consequences, large number of victims, large-scale emergencies, preparedness, readiness, regional-level Disaster Medicine Service, training

For citation: Plutnitskiy A.N., Kulikova I.B., Osipov A.V., Kakurin O.V., Velichko E.A., Isaeva I.V., Gashigullina I.V., Anchokov Yu.Yu., Evmenova A.O. Exercises – the Main Mechanism for Increasing the Readiness of the Regional Level Disaster Medical Service to Eliminate the Medical and Sanitary Consequences of Large-Scale Emergencies with a Large Number of Victims. Meditsina Katastrof = Disaster Medicine. 2025;4:14-19 (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.33266/2070-1004-2025-4-14-19

 

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The material was received 24.04.25; the article after peer review procedure 29.10.25; the Editorial Board accepted the article for publication 12.12.25