OMAGH BOMB REPORT PRAISE
Omagh bomb report praise
By William Allen
THE RUC ruled out asking the Government to shut down the entire mobile phone network after the Omagh bomb, it emerged today.
A document prepared for the Western Health and Social Services Board and Sperrin Lakeland Trust, reveals the move was considered after the explosion on August 15, but a decision was taken not to instigate the plan, on humanitarian grounds, by the RUC.
The comprehensive report also said the Trust has been unable to find out the source of the call for blood donations to the media, leading to large numbers of people getting in the way at the hospital and jamming phone lines.
The report said such a call was not necessary in the early stages.
The document painted a grim picture of the immediate aftermath of the bomb, as it recalled how patients arrived by the busload, and in taxis, private cars, ambulances and on foot.
The review concluded the response to the Omagh bombing was "a very professional, caring and community response, which generated a high level of co-operation between individuals and organisations."
It praised staff at the Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals, as well as the other hospitals which received patients, and noted many staff came to offer their services as soon as they heard the terrible news.
But, while many aspects of the major incident plan worked well, the review said there were also significant lessons to be learned in case a major incident should ever occur again.
It said the sheer volume of patients was a problem in itself.
The review said there were unique features to the disaster.
These included the number of staff who had relatives killed and injured, the number of casualties, the inclusion of a number of people from the Republic and Spain among the dead and injured, the high number of casualties suffering from blast and shrapnel injuries and the relatively low number of head injuries.
And it said there were tensions between staff and departments, which came to the surface during VIP visits - who felt their efforts were not given as much recognition as others.
It also revealed: "Vital life support equipment despatched with ill patients to other hospitals was subsumed within that hospital and not turned around for the homeward bound journey.
"This rapidly depleted the equipment supply within Tyrone County hospital and the Erne.
"Perhaps an exchange system could have helped overcome some of this difficulty. Other equipment, for example trolleys, x-ray cassettes were in short supply and space was at a premium in all areas."
The review made a number of important recommendations, including more telephones to be made available in the major incident room, the establishment of a database of interpreters and changing the key system to Tyrone County Hospital so one master key can open all doors.
It also said plans should be drawn up to deal with other eventualities such as water or electricity failures.
The review finished: "In concluding this report we take a quote from the Royal Victoria Hospital Review, The Omagh Bombing - A Major Incident Experience From A Distance."
"The answer to the question 'Are we ready for the next disaster - remains no, not yet, but we will continue to do our best."
By William Allen
THE RUC ruled out asking the Government to shut down the entire mobile phone network after the Omagh bomb, it emerged today.
A document prepared for the Western Health and Social Services Board and Sperrin Lakeland Trust, reveals the move was considered after the explosion on August 15, but a decision was taken not to instigate the plan, on humanitarian grounds, by the RUC.
The comprehensive report also said the Trust has been unable to find out the source of the call for blood donations to the media, leading to large numbers of people getting in the way at the hospital and jamming phone lines.
The report said such a call was not necessary in the early stages.
The document painted a grim picture of the immediate aftermath of the bomb, as it recalled how patients arrived by the busload, and in taxis, private cars, ambulances and on foot.
The review concluded the response to the Omagh bombing was "a very professional, caring and community response, which generated a high level of co-operation between individuals and organisations."
It praised staff at the Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals, as well as the other hospitals which received patients, and noted many staff came to offer their services as soon as they heard the terrible news.
But, while many aspects of the major incident plan worked well, the review said there were also significant lessons to be learned in case a major incident should ever occur again.
It said the sheer volume of patients was a problem in itself.
The review said there were unique features to the disaster.
These included the number of staff who had relatives killed and injured, the number of casualties, the inclusion of a number of people from the Republic and Spain among the dead and injured, the high number of casualties suffering from blast and shrapnel injuries and the relatively low number of head injuries.
And it said there were tensions between staff and departments, which came to the surface during VIP visits - who felt their efforts were not given as much recognition as others.
It also revealed: "Vital life support equipment despatched with ill patients to other hospitals was subsumed within that hospital and not turned around for the homeward bound journey.
"This rapidly depleted the equipment supply within Tyrone County hospital and the Erne.
"Perhaps an exchange system could have helped overcome some of this difficulty. Other equipment, for example trolleys, x-ray cassettes were in short supply and space was at a premium in all areas."
The review made a number of important recommendations, including more telephones to be made available in the major incident room, the establishment of a database of interpreters and changing the key system to Tyrone County Hospital so one master key can open all doors.
It also said plans should be drawn up to deal with other eventualities such as water or electricity failures.
The review finished: "In concluding this report we take a quote from the Royal Victoria Hospital Review, The Omagh Bombing - A Major Incident Experience From A Distance."
"The answer to the question 'Are we ready for the next disaster - remains no, not yet, but we will continue to do our best."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0503
Published Date: 22-Jul-99
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.