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STEP 1: Identify
specialized information sources and of specialists on hazardous materials,
treatment protocols and preparation of public health response plans.
Websites: http://www.who.int/pcs/chem_incid_site/information_sources.htm http://www.unepie.org/pc/apell/links/prevention.html
STEP 2:
Acquire equipment and supplies: chemical protective equipment (e.g. masks,
goggles, aprons), pharmaceuticals, decontamination material, medical
equipment (e.g. respirators), other material. Consideration should be given
to stockpiling and distribution plans.
STEP 3:
Prepare for supportive and antidotal treatment. Few specific antidotes to
chemical weapons are available. A good source of information and advice are
Poison centres, they either hold or know of stocks of antidotes, see
also:www.intox.org
STEP 4:
Identify and ensure analytical support as an early identification of the
chemical warfare agent is essential to determine the risk to the population
and the types of actions required to minimize casualties
STEP 5:
Train rescue and health personnel on the initial recognition and management
of chemical casualties, barrier nursing, triage, decontamination, sample
handling, handling of mass-casualty, rehabilitation and follow-up. See website: http://www.who.int/disasters/tg.cfm?doctypeID=24
STEP 6:
Define triage criteria: a medical decision process is required to place
casualties in priority order as to ensure the most effective use of limited
medical resources and minimize morbidity and mortality.
STEP 7: Prepare for decontamination: In general,
large quantities of water are required. Workers caring for victims at
hospitals should remove clothing before the casualty is treated. Many
chemical weapons evaporate readily and can be hazardous in enclosed rooms or
shelters.
 RESPONSE TO DELIBERATE RELEASES OF
BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
In principle, it is usually safer for people to remain in their own
home or shelters. Proceed to closing and sealing all doors, windows, chimneys
and other possible routes of entry against a chemical weapon, storing
sufficient quantities of uncontaminated food and water for survival. If
evacuation is necessary, it should be done in a controlled manner.
If a chemical weapon attack has actually occurred, relief and health
personnel should be able to protect themselves immediately and follow the
systematic response steps:
1. Apply
techniques for the detection of the chemicals
2. Evaluate
the nature and magnitude of the release
3. Contact
the specialists and/or reference centers
4. Assess
the current and delayed mass casualty needs
5. Inform
the population
6. Protect
the first responders
7. Establish
the “hot-zones”
8. Conduct
immediate decontamination
9. Implement
the triage system
10.
Ensure
medical care
11.
Ensure
the evacuation of victims
12.
Conduct
the decontamination
13.
Require
local, national or international resources
14.
Monitor
the residual hazard level
15.
Follow-up
victims
Poison information centers in the South
East Asia Region
 INDIA
 AHMEDABAD: Poisons Information Centre,
National Institute of Occupational Health, Meghani Nagar AHMEDABAD 380 016, e-mail: dewan@ad1.vsnl.net.in Emergency
telephone: +91 79 562 1400; Fax: +91 79 286 6630
CHENNAI :Toxicology & IMCU Unit, Government
General Hospital, CHENNAI 600003 E-mail: thiruma@satyam.net.in;
Tel. No. +91 44 536 3208/ 5363131
LUCKNOW
Industrial Toxicology Research Centre. Post Box
80, M. Marg, LUCKNOW 226-001, e-mail: itrc@itrcindia.org Tel.
No: +91 0522-227586; Fax: 228227
NEW DELHI National Poisons Information Centre,
All India Institute of Medical Sciences , Ansari Nagar, NEW DELHI 110 029, E-mail: groverjk03@yahoo.com Emergency
telephone: +91 11 6859391; Fax: +91 11 6859391
INDONESIA
JAKARTA National Poisons Information Centre,
Sentra Informasi Keracunan, Ministry of Health, Jln. Percetakan Negara 23, JAKARTA 10560 e-mail: narkoba@cbn.net.id ;
Telephone:
+62 21 4250765; Fax: 21 4250765
NEPAL
KATHMANDU, Nepal
Poison Information
Center, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, PO Box No. 8975, EPC 1313, E-mail: uhn@mos.com.np
Website: www.south-asia.com/uhn
Emergency
telephone: +977 1 535241; Fax: +977 1 523874
SRI LANKA
COLOMBO National Poisons Information Centre, General
Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Kynsey Road, COLOMBO 8, e-mail: poisons@sri.lanka.net
Telephone:
+94 1 694016, Fax: +94 1 691581
THAILAND
BANGKOK
Ramathibodi Poisons
Center, Dept of Medicine, Ramathibodi
Hospital Mahidol University Rama VI Road, BANGKOK
10400
Emergency
telephone: +66 2 2468282 / 2011083, Fax: +66 2 2011083
Laboratory facilities in the South
East Asia Region
INDIA
New Delhi:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases,
Telephone:
(11) 3913148, (11) 3928700, (11) 3922677
New Delhi Institute of Pathology, Safdar Jung
Hospital, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi – 110029. Telephone: (11) 6165797, (11) 6198402, (11) 6198401; Email: instpath@bol.net.in
KolKata: National Institute of Cholera and
Enteric Diseases, B33 SM, CIT Road, Balghatia, KolKata 700010, Tel: (033)3501176, E-mail: niced@cal2.vsnl.net.in
Pune:
National Institute of Virology, 20-A, Dr. Ambedkar
Road, Pune – 411001, Telephone: (020)6124386, (020)6127301, Email: icmrniv@icmrniv.ren.nic.in
Pondicherry:
Vector Control &
Research Center,
Medical Complex, Indira Nagar, Pondicherry – 605006, Telephone: (0413)372422, E-mail: mosquito@vsnl.com
Izat Nagar Indian Veterinary Research
Institute, Izat Nagar
INDONESIA
Jakarta:
National Laboratory for Drug and Food Control, Jl. Percetakan Negara no. 23, Jakarta,
Tel: 424 5075, Fax: 4245150
Bandung:
Provincial Lab for Drug and Food Control (Balai POM), Bandung,
Jl. Pasteur no. 25, Bandung,
West Java. Fax: 022-4200 381
Yogyakarta: Provincial
Lab for Drug and Food Control (Balai POM), Yogyakarta,
Jl. Tompeyan I, Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, Tel: 0274-561
038, Fax. 0274-519052
THAILAND
Nonthaburi: National Institute of Health, Department
of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanond Road, Nonthaburi –
11000
Tel:
662 9510000–11, Fax: 662 9511498, Mobile
661 8326115, Fax: 662 5899867
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