Disaster Management

DR.VIKRAM GUPTAPG Student(PSM),Patiala

Disaster

• A Disaster can be defined as “any occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life or deterioration of health & health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the effected community or area.”

Hazard

• A Hazard can be defined as any phenomenon that has the potential to cause disruption or damage to people & environment

• Emergencies & disasters affect health & well-being of the people

• Large numbers of people are displaced, killed or injured or subjected to greater RISK OF EPIDEMICS.

• Disasters cause great harm to the existing infrastructure & threaten the future of sustainable development.

DISASTER IN INDIA India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on

account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have

been a recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of

various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods;

about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought.

In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year.

The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical.

• The super cyclone in Orissa in October, 1999 and the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat in January, 2001 underscored the need to adopt a multi dimensional endeavour involving diverse scientific, engineering, financial and social processes; the need to adopt multi disciplinary and multi sectoral approach and incorporation of risk reduction in the developmental plans and strategies.

• United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, declared the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through concerted international action, specially in developing countries.

Types of Disasters

• Earthquakes• Cyclones & Tornadoes• Floods & Tidal Waves• Landslides & Volcanic Eruptions• Hurricanes• Snow storms• Severe Air Pollution (Smog)• Famines• Epidemics

Types of Disasters……………

• Building Collapse• Toxicological Accidents• Nuclear Accidents• Warfare (Warfare is a special category as damage is the

Intended Goal of Action)

Earthquakes have highest mortality as a result of people being crushed by falling objects & at night they are deadly

Factors affecting Injuries & death

• Type of disaster• Density & distribution of the population• Condition of the Environment• Degree of the preparedness• Oppurtunities of Warning

Injuries >>> Death

• Explosions• Eartquakes• Typhoons & Hurricanes• Fires

Death >>> Injuries

• Landslides• Avalanches• Volcanic Eruptions • Tidal waves • Floods

Morbidity of Disaster

• On the whole, morbidity which results from a disaster situation can be classified into four types:

• 1. Injuries• 2. Emotional Stress• 3. Epidemic of the Disease• 4. Increase in the Indigenous Diseases.

Disaster Management

• There are three Fundamental aspects:

1.Disaster Response2. Disaster Preparedness3. Disaster Mitigation

Disaster Impact & Response• Search Rescue & First-aid- most immediate help

comes from uninjured survivors.• Field care- Proper care , beds, surgical services,

food , shelter , inquiry Centre establishment, Victim’s identification & provision of adequate mortuary space.

• Triage• Tagging regarding name age address, diagnosis &

treatment• Identification of dead & shifting to mortuary &

reception of bereaved relatives.

Triage• Triage consists of rapidly classifying the injured

on the basis of the severity of their injuries & the likelihood of their survival with prompt medical intervention.

• Highest priority is granted to victims whose immediate or long term prognosis can be dramatically affected by simple intensive care.

• Moribund patients who require a great deal of attention , with questionable benefit have the lowest priority.

Red indicates highest priority of t/t.Yellow signals medium priorityGreen indicates ambulatory patientsBlack for Dead or Moribund patients

Relief Phase• This phase begins when assistance from outside

starts to reach the disaster area.• The needed supplies will include food , blankets ,

clothings , shelter , sanitary engineering Equipment & construction material.

• Four principal components in managing humanitarian supplies:

• a) Acquisition of supplies b)Transportation• c)Storage D) Distribution

Epidemiological surveillance & Disease Control

• Disasters can increase the transmission of Communicable diseases by

Overcrowding & poor sanitationPopulation displacementContaminated water supplyDisruption of routine control programmesBreeding of vectors Displacement of domestic & wild animals who

carry zoonoses e.g. Leptospirosis in Orissa cyclone

After Disaster • There may beGastroenteritis outbreakAcute respiratory infectionsVector Borne diseasesZoonoses

Epidemiological surveillance & Disease Control……………….

• Implement all public health measure as soon as possible

• Organize a reliable disease reporting system to identify outbreaks and to promptly initiate disease control measures

• Investigate rapidly

Rehabilitation

• It starts from very first moment of disaster.• Water supply – increase residual chlorine

level to about 0.2-0.5mg per litre.• Keep safe the water resources by fencing &

restricting access of animals.• Prevent every possible means of

contamination

• Food safety personal hygiene & kitchen sanitation must be ensured.

• Basic Sanitation & personal Hygiene Safe excreta disposal should be ensured.

• Vector Control must be Intensified.

Disaster Preparedness

• Adopting standards & regulations• Organize communication, information &

warning symptoms

SAARC Disaster Committee

Thanks…….