Medical Repatriation of Swedish Citizens Injured in the 26 December 2004 Tsunami

Abstract

Abstracts -14th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicinesituation and evaluated their own performance. Job identification and responsibility are essential for both senior and junior staff morale and functioning. Organization (information flow, orderly work, and task allocation) is critical in coping with chaotic situations like that generated by the tsunami. Team cohesiveness makes them better able to withstand prolonged exposure to the stresses generated by severe disaster. Positive thinking and orientation towards the future gives people strength and motivation to keep working. Those who had volunteered for the disaster team were found to be more supportive and immunizing than those who had been asked to work with the team. Technical problems (such as the language barrier vis-a-vis the tourists were a cause of stress and the elimination of such problems (through the position of translators in healthcare facilities) alleviated that stress.