Emergency Medical Information Kits

In June and August 2007 the Research Center for Disaster Mitigation of Urban Cultural Heritage at Ritsumeikan University concluded research agreements on disaster prevention and preparedness with the neighborhood committee of Kami-Takano in Sakyo-ku, and the council of social welfare of Kinugasa school district in Kita-ku. As a preliminary initiative to these agreements, with the cooperation of the communities, we gave out free Emergency Medical Information Kits.

On this section of our site we are posting information about the Emergency Medical Information Kit and distribution instructions for the Kit.

1. What is the Emergency Medical Information Kit
2. The purpose of the Emergency Medical Information Kit
3. What to put in the Emergency Medical Information Kit
4. How to use the Emergency Medical Information Kit
5. Distribution instructions for the Medical Information Kit
6. Additional item: Emergency Telephone Manual

• Contact information for inquiries regarding the Kit

1. What is the Emergency Medical Information Kit

The Emergency Medical Information Kit is a sealable container that contains information, prepared by the individual beforehand, necessary for others to know in an emergency situation, to ensure that in the event of an emergency (e.g., of injury during a large-scale disaster, or a sudden illness) even if the individual is not able to explain to the emergency medical team the details of his or her prior condition, prompt and appropriate measures will be taken.

2. The purpose of the Emergency Medical Information Kit

The Emergency Medical Information Kit has a dual role.

1. It will help save people’s lives—the first priority

If we want to have any hope of preserving our historical cities, the first priority has to be to ensure the safety of people in the community: it is only when we can ensure that people will be safe that we can take steps to preserve our cultural heritage. The Emergency Medical Information Kit will help ensure people receive appropriate care not only in ordinary situations but also at times of disaster. In emergency situations, even the shortest delays due to information mix-ups can mean the difference between life and death; and in these times when we are seeing a sharp increase in the number of elderly people living alone, we want to ensure that even when such people find themselves unable to inform others of their condition in emergencies, the information in these Kits will ensure that they will get appropriate treatment.

2. It will help raise local awareness of disaster preparedness

Awareness in each and every resident is critical to raising disaster preparedness, and efforts made by the whole community to raise such awareness are essential. The effectiveness of these Emergency Medical Kits presupposes that residents and neighborhood committees take a leading role in their operation. We hope that the distribution of the Kits will have helped create the opportunity for local communities and organizations to start forming disaster preparedness networks.

3. What to put in the Emergency Medical Information Kit

The Emergency Medical Information Kit should contain the following documents completed with information that emergency medical teams need to know during emergencies. The documents should be rolled up and put inside the container.

1. A completed “Emergency Medical Information Sheet.”
2. A copy of Health Insurance Certificate.
3. A copy of Patient Registration Card.
4. A copy (or copies) of any information leaflets of medicines currently being taken (prescriptions, dosage instruction sheets provided by pharmacists, etc.).
5. Any additional items considered necessary for an emergency (regular medications, etc.).

4. How to use Emergency Medical Information Kit

1. Complete the “Emergency Medical Information Sheet.”
2. Prepare items to put in the Kit.
3. Place items in the Kit. *1
4. Store the Kit in refrigerator door (drinks, etc. section). *2
5. Place the Emergency Medical Information magnet on the refrigerator door. *3

a>*1 The cover sheet for the Emergency Medical Information Kit should be filled-in with basic information to give when making an emergency call such as the name and phone number, etc., and put into the container in a very visible way.

a>*2 Refrigerators are extremely resistant to crushing, even in earthquakes, and a good place to store any information that needs to get speedily to emergency teams.

a>*3 Placing the magnet on the door of the refrigerator will let medical emergency teams know that there is an Emergency Medical Information Kit inside it.

5. Distribution instructions for the Emergency Medical Information Kit

1. Even if a person has prepared an Emergency Medical Information Kit, if emergency teams are not aware that he or she has it, they will not be able to use the information contained in it in the event of an emergency. When distributing the Kit, therefore, it is essential that the local fire department (fire station) is notified and a request made beforehand for their cooperation.
2. The information contained in the Kit should be regularly reviewed and kept as up-to-date as possible.

6. Additional item: Emergency Telephone Manual

In emergency situations, people often find it very difficult to remember items of information such as home address or telephone numbers that ordinarily they would have no difficulty with at all, and can’t give accurate details to others. The Emergency Telephone Manual should contain any information a person needs to be able to tell others in an emergency swiftly and accurately: home address, any distinctive landmarks near the house, telephone number, etc. and should be fixed near the telephone.

Information