Carthage, IL – The Hancock County Health Department has a list of things to try differently for its next medication drill.
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Vicki Rogers says a drill last week tested the department's ability to deliver pills to as many people as possible in a short time.
She says they set up at the Augusta fairgrounds and asked volunteers to drive through. They were questioned on their medical history and given candy pills in lieu of medication.
Rogers says they treated 146 people during the hour of the drill. She estimates they would have to treat more than 300 people per hour to be able to medicate the entire population of the county within the prescribed 48-hour period.
She says the department will plan a similar drill for next year.
She says they plan to open more lanes for people to drive through, and to use nurses from Memorial Hospital to help set up the lines.
In addition, she says the department will have to improve its communication systems.
Apparently the department's two-way radios did not work well from the fairgrounds. Nor did cell phones.