Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T04:58:02.810Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Coordination and Resource Maximization during Disaster Relief Efforts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Vernon J. Lee  and
Edwin Low
Vernon J. Lee*
Affiliation:
Headquarters Medical Corps, Singapore, Armed Forces
Edwin Low
Affiliation:
Headquarters Medical Corps, Singapore, Armed Forces
*
Vernon Lee, MBBS, MPH, MBA AFPN 1202, 701 Transit Road #04-01, Singapore 778910 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

In the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Southeast Asia, many relief organizations sent medical aid to affected areas.

Objective:

The aim of this paper is to examine the mix of healthcare workers resulting from an influx of aid to Meulaboh, Indonesia, and how they met local healthcare needs.

Methods:

Data were collected from the registration center for relief organizations in Meulaboh and daily hospital meetings on healthcare needs and available workers.

Results:

Prior to the Tsunami, there were 14 doctors and 120 nurses in the hospital. By the third week after the Tsunami, there were 21 surgeons performing 10 surgeries daily, and >20 non-surgical doctors in the 90-bed hospital. There were <70 nurses available during the month after the Tsunami, which was insufficient for the needs of the hospital. In the town of Meulaboh, the number of doctors exceeded the number of nurses, while public health workers comprised <5% of the healthcare workers.

Conclusion:

An initial disaster-coordinating agency, formed by the United Nations (United Nations) in conjunction with affected countries, should link actively with relief organizations. This will optimize help in meeting local needs, and direct relief to where it is needed most.

Keywords

acutecoordinationdisaster reliefearthquakehealthcare workersmaximization of resourcespost-disaster phaserelief effortssynchronizationtsunami
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 21 , supplement S1: Health Aspects of the 2004 Southeast Asia Earthquake and Tsunami , February 2006 , pp. S8 - S12
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. One world, one response—Needed, but not yet. Lancet 2005;365(9455). (Editorial).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Drifmeyer, J, Llewellyn, C: Toward more effective humanitarian assistance. Mil Med 2004;169(3):161–168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Libman, IM, LaPorte, RE, Akazawa, S, et al. : The need for a global health disaster network. Prehosp Disast Med 1997;12(1):11–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.World Health Organization/Pan-American Health Organization/World Food Programme/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (WHO/PAHO/WFP/OCHA): Joint press release—Humanitarian logistics systems must improve, experts say. 13 August 2001. Available at http://who.int/int-pr-2001/en/pr2001-37.html. Accessed 24 June 2005.Google Scholar
5.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Rapid health response, assessment, and surveillance after a tsunami—Thailand, 2004–2005. MMWR 2005;54(3):61–64.Google Scholar
6.Burkle, FM: Integrating international responses to complex emergencies, unconventional war, and terrorism. Crit Care Med 2005;33:s7–s12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.United Nations General Assembly Economic and Social Council: Strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. 18 June 2001. Available at http://www.unhcr.ch/cgibin/ texis/vtx/partners/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PARTNERS&id=3bb052508. Accessed 24 June 2005.Google Scholar
8. United Nations Report of the working group on solutions and protection to the forty-second session of the executive committee of the High Commissioner's programme. 12 August 1991. Available at http://www.unhcr.ch/cgibin/ texis/vtx/excom/opendoc.pdf?tbl=EXCOM&id=3ae68ccb14. Accessed 24 June 2005.Google Scholar
9.Bremer, R: Policy development in disaster preparedness and management: Lessons learned from the January 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India. Prehosp Disast Med 2003;18(4):372–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Reindorp, N, Wiles, P: Humanitarian Coordination Lessons from Recent Field Experience–A study commissioned by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Overseas Development Institute, London. pp 1–89.Google Scholar
11.Hardcastle, RJ, Chua, ATL: Humanitarian assistance: Toward a right of access to victims of natural disasters. International Review of the Red Cross 1998;325:589–609.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.WHO: Health action in relation to crises and disasters, with particular emphasis on the earthquakes and tsunamis of 26 December 2004. 20 May 2005. Available at http://www/who.int/gb/ebqha/pdf_files_WHA58/WHA58_1-en.pdf. Accessed 24 June 2005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.WHO: Three months after the Indian Ocean earthquake-tsunami.Available at http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/3months/en/index. html. Accessed 20 April 2005.Google Scholar
14.WHO: Situation Report 2, 28–29 December 2004. Available at http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/sitrep/02/en/ index.html. Accessed 19 April 2005.Google Scholar
15.United Nations Development Program: National Human Development Report, “The Economics of Democracy,” 2004. Available at http://www.undp.or.id/pubs/ihdr2004/index.asp. Accessed 01 July 2005.Google Scholar
16.WHO: Indonesia Tsunami Situation Report 7 January 2005. Available at http://w3.whosea.org/en/Section23/Section1108/ Section1835/Section1851/Section1867_8360.htm Accessed 20 April 2005.Google Scholar
17.United Nations Development Program: Sri Lanka Cyclone Handbook, Office of Project Execution. PADCO. Washington, DC, 1979.Google Scholar
18.Connolly, MA, Gayer, M, Ryan, MJ, et al. : Communicable diseases in complex emergencies: Impact and challenges. Lancet 2004;364:1974–1983.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Salama, P, Spiegel, P, Talley, L, et al. : Lessons learned from complex emergencies over the past decade. Lancet 2004;364:1801–1813.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Bissell, RA: Delayed-impact infectious disease after a natural disaster. J Emerg Med 1983:1(1):59–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Wade, TJ, Sandhu, SK, Levy, D, et al. : Did a severe flood in the Midwest cause an increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms? Am J Epidemiol 2004;159(4):398–405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Reacher, M, McKenzie, K, Lane, C, et al. : Health impacts of flooding in Lewes: A comparison of reported gastrointestinal and other illness and mental health in flooded and non-flooded households. Commun Dis Public Health 2004;7(1):39–46.Google ScholarPubMed
23.de Ville de Goyet, C: Stop propagating disaster myths. Prehosp Disast Med 1999;14(4):9–10. Editorial.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed