The Bali bombing: the Royal Darwin Hospital response

Abstract

After the Bali bombing on 12 October 2002, injured Australians were evacuated to Darwin. The first patients arrived at the Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) 26 hours after the blasts. RDH assessed and resuscitated 61 patients (including 20 intensive care patients, with 15 requiring ventilation, 19 surgery and more than 20 escharotomies). RDH evacuated 48 patients to burns centres around Australia within 36 hours of the first patient arrivals at the hospital and 62 hours after the bomb blasts. The response was successful, but improvements are needed in coordination between the different groups involved in such operations.