Terror preparedness as a service of general interest: the Terror and Disaster Surgical Care (TDSC®)-course

Excerpt

The threat of terror in Europe is ever present, and the number of attacks worldwide is unfortunately increasing. This means that we must prepare health systems and the corresponding care facilities for treating the victims of such attacks. This necessary task now has political relevance in many countries and can and must be seen as a building block of services of general interest. The severity of injuries after life-threatening situations is a particular challenge for hospitals providing initial care and the staff working in them. The Terror and Disaster Surgical Care (TDSC®)-course is designed to address this challenge. The course was developed and implemented on the basis of an initiative launched in 2016. The aim of the course is to train and support hospital decision-makers in preparation for such scenarios so that they can be mastered in the hospital setting. This “focus-on” issue presents essential information on terror preparedness and basic ideas and concepts of the TDSC®-course. …