Emergency Medicine and Rapid Response Virtual Team (EM-RRVT): Insights from the Hajj 1445/2025 Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52609/jmlph.v5i2.160Keywords:
Disaster Medicine, Disaster Planning, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Treatment, Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine, Mass Gatherings, TelemedicineAbstract
Introduction: The use of telemedicine in acute care settings has not been investigated in large mass gatherings. Further exploration is needed to determine its efficacy, applicability and to explore challenges and opportunities.
Aim: This study aims to evaluate a pilot deployment of virtual emergency team during one of the largest mass gatherings in the world, the Hajj religious season.
Methods: The Emergency Medicine and Rapid Response Virtual Team (EM-RRVT) was launched from June 13 to July 6, 2024. The pilot was conducted in phases, with Phase One occurring in Mecca from June 13 to June 19. Subsequently, the team was activated on an on-demand basis. The team's role was to complement the on-ground teams as well as various emergency departments.
Results: The team encountered a total of 324 patients from 20 countries, with a variety of medical conditions. The most prevalent condition was acute coronary syndrome, followed by trauma, within the peak hours from 10:00 to 22:00 coinciding with the movement of pilgrims. Over half of the patients were treated and released back to their Hajj contingents during surge hours.
Conclusion: The use of telemedicine in an acute setting showed promising results. The establishment of the Emergency Medicine and Rapid Response Virtual Team proved to be both feasible and applicable. The scalability and flexibility of the service contributed to its efficiency.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Sharafaldeen Bin Nafisah, Abdullah Mohammed Alhutrushi, Atheer Abdullah Abanmi, Mohammed Hassan Abujamous, Loay Hammad Sabbah, Layla Sulaiman AlSalehi, Ziyad Khater Alzahrani, Abdullah Abdulaziz Alwabel, Abdulaziz Suliman Alhomod, Mona Sahman Alsubaie
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