Disaster medicine

What is a disaster?
 Disaster definitions
” Events that require extraordinary efforts
beyond those neededto respond to
everyday emergencies. ”

” Lack or not enough resources for the

situation. ”
 Disaster?
Catastroph?
Big accident?
Serious event?
 More disaster definitions
• Disasters are unwanted and undesired
• Occur at a single moment in time
• Imply lack of social adjustment to a hazard
of given nature
• Alter basic relationship, linkages and flows
within society so that necessary
requirements for health, safety, food,
shelter and well-being are not met
• Basic needs will be derived from outside
 More definitions of disasters
• Large number of people are involved
• Numbers of fatalities occur and are public
• Damage of homes or other essential property
• Children or other vulnerable people are involved
• Local resources are unable to meet needs
• Police or response agencies request assistance
• Public and media interest is high
• Horror element is high
Different kind of disasters
Natural Man-made
 Natural disasters
• Epidemics • Tidal wave
• Famine • Vulcan eruption
• Hurricane • Landslide
• Tornado • Mudslide
• Storm Flood • Snowstorm
• Earthquake • Avalanche
• Wind-driven water • Drought
• Tsunami
 Man-made disasters
Technological diasters
Material shortage
War
Chemical Radiological,Biological,Nuclear terrorism
Transportation accidents
Group violence – riots
Food or water contamination
Deforestation
Building collapses

Often complex emergencies

Natural and man-made disaster
• Accidental and/or
man-made?????
 Predisaster planning
• Risks?
• Guidelines - laws/regulations
• Government – local area governments and
communities – different authorities
• Hospital and other health care
• Voluntary agencies
• Organisation plans
• Education – exercises
 RISKS??????
• What can happen????

• How true will it be???? Probability?

• If it happens – which consequences?

 Risk and vulnerability
• Vulnerability - how much and how serious
community will be involved
• Grade of vulnerability depends on the
capacity to
expect
manage
resist
recover the event-disaster …..