Air - transportation of Victims During the Chi- Chi Earthquake in Taiwan in 1999

Background: In 1999, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit central Taiwan. Many victims were evacuated via helicopters. To elucidate the procedures of transportation during this disaster, we reviewed the whole course of air transport and analyzed data from the patients transported to our hospital. Material and method: There are two parts in this study. (1). the transport procedures were reconstructed by reviewing photographs whch were taken after the earthquake. (2). data of all patients who were registered at our hospital as victims of the earthquake were collected and analyzeid. Results: The merits of the air-transport procedures were: 1. the location and function of command center was appropriate. 2. The air-transport itself started quickly at about 6 hours after the quake. 3. Back up hospital cooperated well. The problems were: 1.No command center or triage station was built until the second day. 2. The transport criteria were not obeyed strictly. 3. The landing fields were chosen hastily after the quake, not beforehand. 4. Security on the landing field was insufficient until the 3rd day. There were no significant differences of gender, age, hospital day an~ outcome. between ground and air-transport groups. Patients transported by helicopter received significantly more prehospital treatment. Conclusion: We should focus on the setting up of triage station and the security of the helicopter landing pad especially on the first day after the disaster. A suitable landing field should be set up beforehand. Every landing field should be assigned to specific authorities. Air transport team members should have some training to dealing with special situations of air-transport. Portable, self-powered equipment is a good alternative for dealing with an incidental disaster. Besides photographs, videos and assigning observers for specific observation may be helpful for review.