Global responsibility in mass casualty events: the Israeli experience in Japan.

OBJECTIVE

To describe humanitarian aid following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

SETTING

A field hospital deployed in a small Japanese coastal village devastated by a major tsunami.

PATIENTS

Thousands of Japanese refugees with minimal access to medical care.

RESULTS

After well-coordinated diplomatic efforts, our medical delegation was the first foreign team to deploy in Japan. Our facility served as a regional referral center for specialized medical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Following major disasters, even highly modernized countries will face an urgent surge in the need of medical resources. These situations emphasize the need for global responsibility to provide assistance.