Escalating international tensions and the role of healthcare providers – Lessons from previous crises

by Laurence Smith, Co-Founder Greybeard Healthcare Consulting,

February, 2026

In the days since the United States began striking targets in Iran, with the goal of “dismantling the Iranian regime’s security apparatus”, there have been repercussions across the Gulf region.  At the time of writing, missiles and drones have been launched at targets in countries such as Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

As tensions escalate, these countries have been doing a remarkable job of defending their populations. For example, the UAE government reported that, in the first 48 hours of the conflict, it had dealt with 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles, and 541 Iranian drones.

Professionals in the healthcare sector are acutely conscious that, during such periods of emergency, their role becomes more important than ever to national security and population wellbeing. Greybeard Healthcare Consulting’s experts have been involved in many such situations, ensuring that technology, data, facilities and expertise are made available to provide the best possible support during rapidly changing circumstances. A number of our experts were CEOs and COOs of major care facilities during the COVID pandemic earlier this decade.

Based on this experience and our awareness of the wider literature, we thought it might be helpful to share a checklist of six ‘top tips’ to help healthcare providers be ready to deliver when called upon.

Command and Control. Ongoing hospital operations involve multiple checks and balances, which were not designed for disaster response situations.  Hospitals will have disaster response frameworks ready to activate when, for example, mass casualties are expected.  In anticipation that these may require activation, the hospital Board and CEO should remind all parties of their roles within the framework. At the heart of any such plan is, typically, a Command and Control Center, with rapid response decision processes and protocols supported by a ‘data room’, of which more below. Daily checklists and scenario planning become an essential activity; once the Center is operational, anticipating issues before they arise is a standout feature of exceptional performance.

Preparing for surges in demand. Optimal preparedness typically involves ensuring that decision-makers have access (via the data room) to essential information, such as how hospital capacity is being deployed, and the emergency expertise of all physicians (including those not currently in an EMS-related role). Preparedness can also involve rescheduling shifts, implementing short-notice overtime arrangements, or cancelling planned leave. These plans will be designed and executed in close cooperation with health officials and regulators who are coordinating network-level matters such as adequate bed capacity, blood supplies, and critical medications.

Rallying the extended team. The pressure on frontline staff during a crisis situation is intense; doctors, nurses and administrative teams are expected to perform their duties at an elevated level at a time when official guidance for most of the population may be to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel.  Of course, in this situation, the ‘team’ is not limited to the hospital’s direct employees: supply chains are often asked to go beyond their contractual commitments to keep vital materials flowing. Surges in demand mean utilisation of medication and supplies soars – sometimes, stock that would normally last for two weeks is depleted in a matter of hours; without contingency planning, this is a challenge for any typical modern hospital operating just-in-time principles. Finally, provision of specific mental health support for staff impacted by the crisis can make a critical difference.  In preparing this article, I interviewed Mark Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Clemenceau Medical Center (one of the largest hospital facilities in Dubai), who drew attention to the fact that “In a cosmopolitan country such as the UAE, most hospitals will have staff from the entire GCC, including Iran. This means they are simultaneously caring for local patients while dealing with the pressure of unwelcome or uncertain news about the safety of their family back home. Plus, in some cases, the additional stress of being trapped and unable to return to support loved ones for an indeterminate period.”

Triage and patient stabilization. During an emergency, triage becomes one of the most critical of the numerous processes within any well-functioning facility.  It allows resources to be deployed where they will have the greatest impact, especially to support patients displaying indicators or injuries which could be life-threatening.  Hospitals’ operations will be designed around certain assumptions concerning triage volumes; during a national disaster, these can rise exponentially. Doctors and nurses with triage expertise may be redeployed from other roles, and the EMS area reconfigured to accelerate the flow. When it comes to patient stabilization, all equipment that has a role in stabilizing patients suffering trauma (such as trauma splints, spinal boards, defibrillators or oxygen concentrators) needs to be identified, checked to ensure it is fully functional, and relocated to be within the easiest reach of the attending physicians.

Vulnerable patients. Depending on the nature of the emergency, an immediate challenge can involve disoriented and vulnerable patients who are separated from vital medications. This can include respiratory medications such as inhalers, or drugs for treating diabetes, blood pressure or heart conditions, or even patients who are reliant on a home dialysis machine that can no longer be accessed.  Providers should stockpile such items, identify at-risk patients in their databases, and prepare to reach out to them or their carers on a proactive basis if the situation warrants

Crisis communications. This is the last point on our ‘top six’ list, but in many ways underpins each of the first five. Compared with previous national emergencies, healthcare operators have never had access to such an abundance of communication channels that can dispense information in real time to such wide audiences. One of the communication risks during an emergency situation is that information recipients are overwhelmed, or that content is contradictory, open to misinterpretation or triggers unnecessary panic. For this reason, most communication teams will activate a Communications task force (reporting to or being part of the Command and Control Center), responsible for the ‘Crisis Communications Grid’. In such a Grid, all communications are classified using categories such as: generic or personalized? For information or for action? Level of urgency? For all audiences or for segments? Key roles within the Task Force will include: Emergency contact data maintenance (from the c-suite to, for example, security staff and equipment engineers); content signoff (including legal signoff where appropriate), ‘tone of voice’ signoff (this cannot be understated during a crisis situation); media relations.

We trust our ‘top six’ checklist will be of interest and value to decision makers. Of course, every situation involves its own unique set of challenges. Greybeard Healthcare Consulting would be pleased to meet any healthcare decision makers who would like to discuss in more detail any of the issues raised in this piece.

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