7 th International Scientific Conference ITEMA 2023 – Conference Proceedings DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ITEMA.2023.317 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7619-4639 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9452-5064 Management of the Care of the Injured and Sick in Emergencies Katarina Štrbac 1 Brankica Pažun 2 Keywords: Emergencies; Injured; Management Abstract: Managing the care of the injured and sick in emergencies is crit- ical to disaster and emergency preparedness. Effective management is es- sential to saving lives and minimizing suffering, whether it’s a natural disas- ter, a public health crisis, a mass casualty event, armed conflicts, or any oth- er emergency. For every possible emergency, it is necessary to follow funda- mental principles and steps: preparedness, assessment and triage, resource allocation, communication, evacuation and transportation, and coordina- tion with other institutions. Effective management of the injured and sick care in emergencies requires careful planning, coordination, and adapting to rapidly changing situations. Collaboration among healthcare organiza- tions, government agencies, and the community is crucial to ensure the best possible outcomes for those affected by emergencies. Coordinated activi- ties in a society are vital to be prepared for emergencies, including devel- oping emergency response plans on all levels. Management plays a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of communities and effective response to emergencies. The involvement of civil society, cooperation with the govern- ment and local self-governments, partnership with the private sector, iden- tification of challenges and obstacles, and recommendations for improving the management system are critical factors for successful risk management. Due to the necessary time caring for sick and injured people, one possible solution could be modern information technology. This paper is trying to raise the importance of this issue. Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non- Commercial 4.0 License (https://creative- commons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduc- tion and distribution of the work without further permission. 1. INTRODUCTION T here has been a noticeable rise in the frequency of major emergencies, crises, and disas- ters. This pattern is not confined to any particular geographical area but mainly affects mid- dle and low-income countries. These events significantly impact people’s lives, disrupt essen- tial services such as healthcare, and hinder sustainable human development. Such incidents can lead to fatalities, injuries, displacement, and infrastructure damage. “Most vivid in the public imagination are natural disasters – events of a scale that endanger both populations and envi- ronments, such as floods, windstorms, and earthquakes. According to historical data, the num- ber of recorded natural disasters since 1900 has increased, as has the number of people affected. At the same time, man-made events are growing in frequency and impact. In the 1970s, man- made events accounted for 16.5% of disasters and 4.3% of related deaths; in the 1990s, they had risen to 42% and 9.5%, respectively (these figures do not include “complex emergencies” in- volving armed conflict and a total breakdown of authority)’’ (World Health Organization, 2007). The biggest problem arises when an emergency suddenly occurs, including armed conflicts, when there is no immediate response nor adequate care for the injured and sick. The reasons for this are multiple. One of the main reasons lies in the sudden events and the fact that very few countries can 1 Faculty of Engineering Management, Bulevar Vojvode Mišića 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 2 Faculty of Engineering Management, Bulevar Vojvode Mišića 43, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Received: December 21, 2023 Accepted: February 2, 2024 Published: May 28, 2024