The millions of people expected to flood the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20 could strain Baltimore area hospitals and test health officials’ emergency response.
“The more people that come to town, the more challenges there are across the board,” said Dr. Robert Bass, executive director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, which coordinates emergency services.
Health officials have been making plans in recent weeks to ensure a smooth response to any influx of illnesses and injuries as well as the possibility for a large-scale health emergency.
First aid stations will be set up on and around the Mall to handle most health emergencies, such as asthma attacks and minor ailments. Officials estimate that if 3 million people attend, about 11,600 visits will occur at these satellite clinics.
A fraction of those patients, an estimated 300 people, will have to be transported to area hospitals, and Maryland and Virginia will be sending several ambulances down to Washington, Bass said.
Emergency officials also will be coordinating with area hospitals to ensure no single hospital is burdened with too many patients, he said. They are also working with local law enforcement to map out transportation plans and helicopter pickup points to more smoothly transport patients.
Area hospitals have been testing their communications systems and making sure the emergency departments and labs are fully staffed.
“It’s really a wait and see and be prepared,” said Dan Tesch, director of clinical engineering and emergency management at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson.
The state health department has been hosting weekly conference calls with hospitals and health departments to coordinate plans for the inauguration and Obama’s expected visit Jan. 17 in Baltimore.
The crowd at the inauguration is expected to be older, because it’s a historic event drawing people who haven’t attended an inauguration in decades. This means they will possibly have more mobility problems or chronic disease, said Fran Phillips, deputy secretary for public health services at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The gathering also is happening during what could be the height of the flu season, she said.
Fifteen state hospitals will be reporting symptoms of emergency room patients, and state officials will monitor the data for any hints of an outbreak, Phillips said.
Local health departments also will be preparing shelters and making plans for a mass clinic to distribute medications if necessary, she said.
The preparations mirror the drills health officials have conducted to ready for a flu epidemic or a bioterrorism attack, she said.
“It’s a serious event. It’s a historic event,” Phillips said, “but we are going to test our capabilities.”
