S2 · Registration & Triage

Screening and prioritising every patient

After arrival and registration, every patient is assessed and prioritised according to the severity of their injury or illness. The triage process determines who needs immediate medical care and who can wait for treatment.

In a mass casualty event, this system comes under extreme pressure. When an unusually high number of injured people arrive within a short period of time, triage decisions must be made even faster and under the most difficult conditions. The aim is to save as many lives as possible with the resources available.

Due to repeated mass casualty events, the Red Cross Emergency Hospital in Rafah has operated in a state of emergency time and again since May 2024. In some weeks, the emergency room sees more than 2,300 new patients as a result.

To prevent a single facility from becoming overwhelmed in such situations, functioning transfer and referral systems are essential. They ensure that patients are directed to the appropriate facility based on their treatment needs.

The Red Cross Emergency Hospital in Rafah works closely with other hospitals, even in these exceptional situations. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the local sister society of the Red Cross Movement, plays a key role in patient transfers.

The Red Cross Emergency Hospital relies on seamless digital documentation. All patient data is recorded and securely documented digitally upon admission. This systematic capture accompanies the entire course of treatment and ensures consistently high quality of care — the basis for the GRC's accountability to every individual patient.