Are hospitals prepared to handle a sudden surge in demand for health care?

The preparedness level in hospitals depends on the biological agent used in an attack. Because a sudden surge in demand could overwhelm an individual hospital's resources, hospitals collaborate with other hospitals in their area in order to respond to a bioterrorist attack on a citywide or regional basis. Hospitals are required to maintain disaster response plans and to practice applying them as part of their accreditation process. Many components of such plans are useful in responding to bioterrorism. Specific plans for bioterrorism have been added to the latest accreditation requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. In an emergency, local medical care capacity will be supplemented with federal resources.

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1. A question often asked by the public in response to a bioterrorism event is: How can I prepare?
2. Are health department labs equipped / capable of doing testing?
3. Does every city have an adequate emergency response system, especially one geared for a bioterrorist attack? How quickly can it be implemented?
4. Are hospitals prepared to handle a sudden surge in demand for health care?
5. What should I do to be prepared?
6. With all this talk about possible biochemical agents, just how safe is our water? Should I be disinfecting my water just in case?