ROLE OF COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
NURSE
IN
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
INTRODUCTION
• Think globally and act locally holds true to disaster
management. Disaster occurrence is a global
phenomenon. It can occur at anywhere at any time.
Disaster occurrence in any countries affects its health
and economic conditions. Most types of natural
disaster are apt to reoccur in the same areas or
countries.
• Furthermore with the changing ecosystem,
deforestation, misuse of land we have every reason to
believe that frequency of disasters such as floods,
droughts will increase in the coming decades.
MEANING OF DISASTER
• Disaster means a catastrophe, calamity or
mishap, a grave occurrence which causes loss
of life, human suffering, damage to and
destruction of property degradation of
environment which disrupts the normal
functioning of societies, government
communities and which adversely affects
individual and families with severity and it is
beyond the coping capacity
of the
community of the affected area.
DEFINITION OF DISASTER
• “ Any occurrence that
causes damage,
economic disruption,
loss of human life and
deterioration in health
and the health services
on a scale sufficient to
warrant an extra
ordinary response from
outside the affected
community or area.”
NATURAL DISASTER IN INDIA
• Silent disaster of population
explosion
• HIV/AIDS bomb biological
• Floods
• Droughts
• Earthquakes- Gujarat 2001
• Cyclone- Orissa 1999
• Landside of avalanches
• Chemical disaster in Bhopal
1984
• Stampede
• Fire accidents
• Tsunami Dec 2004
CLASSIFICATION OF DISASTER
• Water and climate related
disasters
• Geological related disasters
• Biological related disasters
• Chemical, industrial and
nuclear disasters
• Accident related disasters
• Man made disasters.
WATER AND CLIMATE RELATED DISASTERS
• Cyclones
• Tornadoes and
hurricanes
• Hail storm
• Sea erosion
• Cloud burst
• Heat wave and cold wave
• Snow and volcanoes
• Drought
• Thunder and lightning
GEOLOGICALLY RELATED DISASTERS
• Earthquakes
• Landslides and mud flow
• Dam failure/ Dam bursts
• Mine fires
BIOLOGICALLY RELATED DISASTERS
• Biological disasters and
epidemics
• Pest attacks
• Cattle epidemics
• Food poisoning
CHEMICAL, INDUSTRIAL AND NUCLEAR
RELATED DISASTERS
• Chemical and industrial
disasters
• Nuclear disasters
ACCIDENT RELATED DISASTERS
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Forest fire
Urban fire
Mine flooding
Oil spill
Major building collapse
Village fire
Serial bomb blasts
Festival related disasters
Electrical disasters and fires
Air, road and rail accidents
Boat capsizing
MAN MADE DISASTERS
• Population explosion
• Wars and conflicts
• Leaks from nuclear
plants
• Deforestation
• Wide spread pollution
to environment
• Wide spread use of
fossil fuel
EFFECTS OF DISASTERS
GENERAL EFFECTS
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Loss of life
Injury
Damage of property
Damage of cash
Loss of lively hood
Disruption of lifestyle
Disruption of essential services
Loss/disruption of infra
structure
• State economic loss
• Sociological/psychological
after effects
HEALTH EFFECTS
• Accidents and trauma
• Loss of life and disposal of
dead bodies
• Outbreaks of communicable
diseases (water-borne)
• Vector-borne diseases
• Problems of malnutrition
• Problems of psychological
trauma
• Problems of orphans and
shelter
COMPONENTS OF DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Disaster
Preparedness
Response
Mitigation
Rehabilitation
Reconstruction
STEPS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• Search, rescue, and first aid
• Field care
• Triage
Red color- immediate care
Yellow color-care within 24 hrs
Green color- ambulatory care
Black color-dead people
• Tagging -Printing a tag with all details
• Care of the dead
RESPONSE
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Local people come first
This consists of:
Shelter and emergency settlement
Water supply and sanitation
Vector and pest control
Control of communicable disease
Prevention of out breaks
Food supply
Nodal agency and organization
DISASTER
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Natural disaster
Drought and drought relief
Air accidents
Railway accident
Chemical disasters
• Biological disasters
• Nuclear disaster
NODAL MINISTRY
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Ministry of home affair
Ministry of agriculture
Ministry of civil aviation
Ministry of railways
Ministry of environment and
forests
• Ministry of health
• Dept. of atomic energy
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
• Nodal agency for disaster management-ministry of home affairs
• National Contingency Action Plan (Cap)
- To facilitate launching of relief and rescue measures
without delay
• Various committees at the national level
- Cabinet committee- for effective implementation of
relief measures
- National crisis management committee- headed by
cabinet
Co-ordinates activities of the central secretary.
• Ministries and state Governments.
ROLE OF STATE GOVERNMENT-AUTONOMOUS
Chief Secretary –consider
infrastructure and guidance,
Formulate action plans
District collector – for directing
supervising and monitoring relief
Measures
District relief committee-review of
relief measures [Official and nonofficial members]
ARMED FORCES OF THE COUNTRY
REHABILITATION BY HEALTH SECTOR
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Water supply
Food supply
Improvement of sanitation
Control of vectors
Care of survivors,
RECONSTRUCTION
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Setting up of shelter
Health, food, and facilities in the campus
Education
Training of people/students/volunteers
MITIGATION
• This involves measures to
lessen the effects of
emergency (eg. Improving
the structural quality of
schools houses and other
buildings .
• This compliments the
disaster preparedness and
disaster response activities.
PREPAREDNESS
This consist of strengthening the capacity
of a country to manage efficiently all types
of emergency related to disaster.
• The preparedness should
– start from the community people
– Training of health workers, social workers and
members of Ngo’s etc.
– In the form of money, manpower, and materials
– A continuous, on-going multi sectored activity
MEASURES
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Evaluation from the past experience
Location of disaster prone areas
Adaptation of a standard operatory procedure
Organization of communication, information and warning
systems
Ensuring co-ordination and response mechanism
Development of education program
Co-ordination with news media
National and international relations
Organization of disaster stimulation exercises
Keeping stock of foods, drugs, and other essential
commodities
ROLE OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES
• International Agencies
WHO- UNICEF-FAO
World food program (WFR)
Office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA)
Inter governmental organizations
– European community humanitarian office (ECHO)
– Organization of American states (OAS)
– Centre of co-ordination for prevention of natural disasters in
Central America
– Caribbean disasters emergency response agency
Non-governmental organizations
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Co-operational American relief everywhere (CARE)
International committee of Red Cross
International committee of voluntary agencies
International federation of Red cross and Red Crescent societies
(IFRC), etc
FACTORS AFFECTING SCOPE AND SEVERITY
OF DISASTERS
• Vulnerability of a population or individual
• Environmental factors and type of impact
(Physical, chemical, biological and social factors)
• Warning time and proximity to disaster
• Individual perception and response
DIMENSIONS OF DISASTER
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Predictability e.g.; earth
Frequency
Controllability
Time
Scope- and intensity
PHASES OF DISASTER
• Pre impact phase
• Impact phase
• Post impact phase
– Emergency phase
– Recovery phase
PRINCIPLES OF DISASTERS MANAGEMENT
(GARB&ENG-1969)
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Prevent the occurrence of the disaster whenever possible.
Minimize the number of casualties.
Prevent further casualties
Rescue the victims.
Provide first aid to the injured
Evacuate the injured
Provide definite medical care
Promote reconstruction of lives
NURSES RESPONSIBILITY
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PRE-PLANNING: developing a response plan
All community medical and social agencies resources available
Storage of equipment and supplies
Follow the protocol of notification
Designation of an alternative reporting site for health care workers
Very familiar with the equipment and supplies to use
Mock disaster drills
Use of personal protective devices
Knowledge on potential hazards at the disaster sites. e.g.: unstable building
structure
COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS
• Education
• First aid program
• Making every home to store
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Emergency telephone numbers
Battery operated radio
Working flash light
First aid kit
Three day supply of water
Medical information & family physician detail
Persons to be notified in emergency
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
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Personal concerns for health care providers
Survey assessment
Determining immediacy of care
Role at emergency aid stations
Major health concerns after a disaster
Psychological needs of victims
Recovery
Personal response of care providers to disaster
Ethical and legal implication
CONCLUSION
Community health nurses are an integral part of
disaster planning and implementation efforts. They are
involved as planers, educators, direct care givers and
assessment supervisors.
They serve as a community survey assessors triage
officers after the disaster has occurred. Hence participate
actively in disaster management as a community health
nurse and protect the health of the community by quality
nursing care.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE
• DISASTER CAN OCCUR AT ANY
TIME
• ANY FORM OR
• ANY ARE
• BE PREPARED TO MEET
THE CHALENGES OF AFTER
EFFECT OF DISASTER.