All-Hazard Response
Dr. Novil WijesekaraMedical Officer
Disaster Preparedness and Response DivisionMinistry of Health
Objectives
• Describe the relevance of all-hazard response with regards to health sector disaster response.
• Describe the response of curative health institutions in all-hazard response.
• Describe the response of preventive health institutions in all-hazard response.
All hazard preparedness
• Irrespective of the hazard type, the health sector may have to respond to – death - mortality– disease /injury - morbidity– displacement - disability
All-hazard response
• The health sector response is important in– Managing dead bodies in disasters– Providing emergency health care• Emergency surgical care – Mass casualty incident• Emergency medical care – Chemical accident causing
respiratory problems, epidemics
– Providing health services for displaced. • Curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitative
Managing dead bodies in disasters
• Identification of dead bodies.
• Dead bodies do not pose additional health
risks than living persons do.
• Respect for the dead bodies.
• Support for the loved ones of the diseased.
Providing emergency health care
• Emergency surgical care
– Coordination with search and rescue teams
– Pre-hospital care
– Triage
– Primary Survey
– Secondary Survey
– Definitive management
Providing health services for the displaced
• Curative care
– Through existing health system as much as
possible
– Establishing field health facilities
– Mobile medical teams
– Supporting patients to access health facilities
Preventive health services
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Disease surveillance
• Psychosocial health
• Disease control
• Environmental health services in emergencies
Environmental health services
• Safety and security – cross cutting issue
• Shelter and Protection
• Food/Water supply
• Sanitation
• Solid waste management
• Liquid waste management
• Health education
Promotive health services
• Health promotion through community
participation
– Volunteers
• Mental health promotion through
psychosocial activities
Rehabilitative health services
• Physical rehabilitation
– For persons who are differently abled
• Psycho-social rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation of health facilities and systems
– “Build Back Better Smarter and Faster”
Summary
• In most disasters, the health sector response is aimed
at same objectives.
• Health sector should response timely and effectively to
the disasters that may emerge.
• Effective response is not only a humanitarian
imperative but also an investment in preventing future
burden to health system.
All-Hazard Preparedness
Dr. H.D.B. HerathNational Coordinator / Consultant Community Physician
Disaster Preparedness and Response DivisionMinistry of Health
Objectives
• Describe the relevance of all-hazard preparedness with regards to health sector disaster preparedness.
• Describe the importance of risk assessment in health sector disaster preparedness.
• Describe the importance of preparedness planning for health sector disaster preparedness.
• Describe the importance of testing health sector disaster preparedness.
Hazard-specific preparedness
• Preparedness aimed at specific hazards.– Flood preparedness plan– Drought preparedness plan– Mass casualty preparedness plan
All hazard preparedness
• Emergency preparedness requires attention not just to specific types of hazards but also to steps that increase preparedness for any type of hazard.
All hazard preparedness
• Irrespective of the hazard type, the health sector may have to respond to – death - mortality– disease /injury - morbidity– displacement - disability
All hazard preparedness
• Preparing to all hazards is more cost effective than preparing for individual hazards.
Risk assessment
• Risk of all possible hazards that could affect a health facility (internal hazards) or that could affect the community that the health facility serves (external hazards) is assessed.
Preparedness Planning
• Disaster preparedness planning involves identifying– organizational resources– Determining roles and responsibilities, – developing policies and procedures and – planning activities
Preparedness Planning
• Planning emergency actions is a process; it is not a one-time event.
• The actual planning process is preliminary in nature and is performed in a state of uncertainty until an actual emergency or disaster occurs.
• After a disaster occurs, plans must be adapted to the actual situation
Preparedness Planning as a process
• Experience shows that plans created by an external person or by an isolated individual or agency are usually not valued and used.
• Therefore, a team approach is desirable.
Preparedness Planning as a process
• A team approach allows for diverse perspectives to be shared during the planning stage.
• It also helps ensure that the team has access to precise and complete information.
Communicating Preparedness Plans
• It is essential to communicate and coordinate plans with all stakeholders involved– Government organizations– Non-government organizations– Corporate sector– Community-based organizations– Community
Communicating Preparedness Plans
• Sharing preparedness plans will – improve planning, – reduce duplication of efforts, – make plans more realistic and – increase the overall effectiveness of disaster
response.
Preparedness Plan Components
• Management, organization and coordination• Assessment of probable needs• Activating population emergency notification
and disaster response systems• Emergency needs assessment• Communication between agencies• Resource mobilization and allocation• Sector components
Sector Components
– Rescue and medical assistance for the affected– Water and sanitation– Food and nutrition– Logistics and transport– Other domestic needs of the affected populations– Health and nutrition– Shelter– Search and reunification of families– Protection and security
Activities to ensure plan implementation
• Drill
• Simulation– Desktop simulations– Computer-based simulations
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