Dealing with disasters
Haiti faces serious medical crisis following earthquake; are we prepared for such?
Haiti, one of the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change like Bangladesh is already overwhelmed with high rates of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoea, meningitis and respiratory infections. With 7.0 magnitudes earthquake that struck on last Tuesday added severe burden of injuries and chance of further tropical and infectious diseases. In addition to death, a large number of survivors are struggling to access healthcare and suffering from severe trauma/ injuries, lack of safe water, sanitation, food and shelter. World Health Organisation (WHO) urged international communities to serve immediate health needs in crisis with rapid and coordinating life-saving care. About 3 million people — one-third of Haiti's population — were affected by the quake, the Red Cross estimated. At least eight health facilities including four hospitals have been damaged or collapsed that made the situation more complicated. Very few hospitals in Port-au-Prince are still open but they may be collapsed functionally to handle too many injured. There is gross shortage of ambulance to carry people to hospitals and lack of medical equipment such as CT scan, diagnostic laboratory, clean operating instrument and skilled people to handle such casualties. Compensating these lost health services is crucial in this crisis moment to deliver healthcare to millions of earthquake survivors. For those who survived with injuries, blocked roads, lack of supplies and medical attention grossly hamper recovery. Even the minor injuries or fractures can become life-threatening because they are left open to some dangerous bacterial infections such as tetanus. Even the uninjured can face medical risks as well. Interruptions in basic services such as the water supply, sanitation are likely to increase the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks. The risks in the short-term are diarrhoeal diseases including typhoid fever and cholera, bacterial infections such as shigellosis (which causes diarrhoea) and salmonella enterocolitis (a common type of food poisoning). The long-term health impacts include disabilities from fracture and amputations, increased prevalence of rare and neglected infectious diseases that might last for years imposing extra burden to existing problems. Before the major earthquake, Haiti has suffered through four major hurricanes or storms during a single year in 2008. Like the country, Bangladesh is also facing more frequent climate related events like cyclone Sidr and Ayila, floods and is in fear of major earthquake. But the awareness of the critical need to build disaster resilient health facilities among policy and decision-makers, as well as the public, is still low. Protecting health facilities from the avoidable consequences of disasters is a social and political necessity yet to penetrate all levels of society. Although the health infrastructure of Bangladesh is considered better than Haiti, experts feared much casualties may happen if something these sort of disasters strike densely populated Bangladesh. Most of the existing hospital structures in Bangladesh do not comply with disaster resilient hospital. With the increased incidence of extreme climatic events, WHO has imposed utmost importance on the safety of health infrastructures during any emergency. Experts suggested that hospitals should be built using efficient building standards that cause little additional costs and can withstand earthquakes. WHO urged countries to review the safety of existing health facilities and to ensure that any new facilities are built with that safety in mind. Practical and effective low-cost measures such as protecting equipment, organising community heath workers to handle immediate medical crisis, developing emergency preparedness plan are crucial and can help make health facilities safer, better prepared and more functional in emergencies. Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh Prof Dr Shah Munir Hossain told Star Health, "Disaster resilient health facilities are vital for the preparation of worst things like earthquake. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is taking all necessary preparations to combat any medical crisis resulting from a natural catastrophe." "We have asked to make new hospitals with disaster resilient health infrastructure and keep emergency medical team, necessary medicine ready for emergencies. We have planned to ready some ambulances in future to reach in hard to reach areas damaged by natural calamities" Dr Munir added. Keeping health facilities safer from destruction is more an urgent need now with climate change expected to cause more severe and frequent natural hazards in Bangladesh. Haiti could save thousands of its people if they were better prepared for emergency. The lesson we learned from Haiti should be taken seriously to prepare combating any crisis. E-mail: rajibssmc@gmail.com
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments