Disaster management

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Natural disasters such as earthquake have negative impacts to the health, economic and social status of the people affected. Appropriate prevention strategies in various levels ought to be applied in regions that are prone to the natural catastrophic events (Naghii, 2005).

Primary prevention involves innovations that prevents minimize the number of casualties when the disaster happens. Proper buildings should be built in areas with high seismic risk. Public health nurse (CHN) together with disaster officials should initiate earthquake mitigation programs. They restrict building of commercial and residential houses in the areas (Naghii, 2005).

Secondary prevention involves the response during the catastrophic earthquake. The CHN should educate the community safety action. They should recognize the initiation of earthquake and stay away from buildings and trees (Partidar, 2013).

Medical response to prevent suffering or death to the casualties is the tertiary prevention level. The medical teams give acute traumatic life-support to the injured especially those with inhalation injury and correctable hypovolemia. It should be an effective medical emergency because the demand is high within 24 hours for example using air to transport the medical team and medical equipment (Naghii, M., 2005).

The nursing interventions outlined above falls in the preparedness phase of a disaster. They are calculated to evaluate the risk factors to injury during the disaster, the risk reduction actions and the response to the disaster. All hazard analysis is carried out and the vulnerabilities identified. It will also involve training spiritual, mental and general health personnel in preparedness for a disaster. To achieve these goals, the CHN collaborate with Engineers, physicians, seismologists and epidemiologists (Herrmann, J., 2007).

References

Naghii, M., 2005. Public health impacts and medical consequences of earthquakes. Public health 18(3): 219-220.

Herrmann, J., 2007. Phases of disaster. Response planning and preparedness. (1): 12-13.

Partidar, 2013. Community health nursing in disaster management. Online retrieved through HYPERLINK “http://www.slideshare.net/drjayeshpatidar/community-health-nurse-in-disaster-management” www.slideshare.net/drjayeshpatidar/community-health-nurse-in-disaster-management. Viewed on 11th July, 2014.