INFORMATICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT. HURRICANES. BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION
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Disasters can happen in any part of the world at any given time. They are sudden calamitous events that may lead to great loss of lives or property. Either man causes them or some of them occur naturally like earthquakes, fire and floods. The level of preparedness and action in response to the disasters determine the extent of the loss. All the stakeholders involved and the government of the day should be actively involved in managing of crises. Disasters are detrimental and pose a great risk to humanity but with the necessary steps and actions, they can be prevented or their effects minimized.
Over time, the number of disaster incidents has gradually increased more so in the developing countries. This has been caused by man’s continuous degradation of the environment. There are several areas prone to natural disasters. Through emergency disaster studies and research, there is collection of data that can be worked on and patterns observed. Several stakeholders and emergency managers have the capacity to adequately take charge in managing crises as they occur. The basic processes once an incident has taken place are anticipating, assessing, preventing, preparation, response and recovery (Clements, 2009, 76). A good action plan should be put in place to reduce the effects.
Natural disaster can subsequently trigger other disasters. For example, an earthquake can trigger a tsunami that in turn causes flooding. The natural disasters take place in areas where hazards meet with vulnerability. In an organization, the staff should be well trained on drills and steps to take once a calamity occurs. A detailed plan to prevent and react should be in place (Kapucu and Ozerdem 2013, 12). The plan should be well studied and its effectiveness regularly checked to enhance it. In the present day, well use of technology is advised. This can be infused with required timing. Proper funding is essential for preserving property and loss of lives.
Mitigation and preparation are the fundamental activities in dealing with disaster management (Fink 2013, 7). Without proper management of natural resources, environmental degradation and impacts of natural disasters increase greatly. In the disaster prone areas, cost-benefit analysis must be undertaken with mitigation activities. The government should provide financial support and administrative strength for the relief and awareness of the crises. A centralized national center of information should be put in place that collects data, monitors patterns of the occurrences and creates a database for future references.
There are international bodies that in conjunction with the United Nations can help the poor countries in matters dealing with disaster management. This include, International Recovery Platform, Red Cross, World Bank, European Union, to mention but a few. Schneider (2011, 18) states that man made disasters like stampedes, industrial accidents, the necessary steps to actively practice safety measures can help reduce the crises. In instances like overpopulation concentrated in hazardous environments, the government should discourage it. It is a collective and coordinated process that involves the input of every member of the society.
Disasters can happen at any given time and place, especially the natural ones. The impact of man’s activities on the environment and hazardous areas increase the chances of man made disasters taking place. The level of preparation in preventing and mitigating of the disasters is the main agenda in disaster management (Bruke and Friedman 2011, 19). All efforts towards management should be made top priority. This should be encouraged to minimize the effects and loss of lives and damage of property.
References:
Burke, Robert E. and Leonard H. Friedman. 2011. Essentials of management and leadership in public health. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Clements, Bruce. 2009. Disasters and public health: Planning and response. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Fink, Sheri. 2013. Five days at Memorial. New York: Crown Publishers.
Kapucu, Naim and Ozerdem, Alpasian. 2013. Managing emergencies and crises. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Schneider, Saundra K. 2011. Dealing with disaster: Public management in crises. 2nded. Armonk: New York: M.E. Sharpe.