By Dr Eilia Jafar
Catastrophe preparedness in Indian hospitals is a important concern, particularly given the rising frequency of pure disasters and public well being emergencies. Hospitals play an vital function as the primary level of care throughout emergencies, however many stay weak and ill-equipped to deal with large-scale crises. Even at prime authorities hospitals, catastrophe administration plans (DMPs) typically exist solely on paper and are hardly ever carried out successfully.
There are examples aplenty that present how this unpreparedness of hospitals ends in tragedy. In Might this yr, a tragic hearth incident at Child Care New child Hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar space claimed the lives of eight newborns, exposing the extreme hole between planning and precise readiness.
Through the 2023 Delhi floods, when low-lying areas had been severely inundated, over 40 sufferers of Sushrut Trauma Centre needed to be urgently relocated to Delhi’s LNJP Hospital as water flooded the previous. In 2022, a fireplace at New Life Multispecialty Hospital in Jabalpur led to the demise of eight sufferers, whereas extreme flooding in Assam the identical yr compelled a 150-bed most cancers hospital to manage chemotherapy on the streets as a consequence of waterlogging on the facility. In 2021, a fireplace within the ICU of Ahmednagar Civil Hospital resulted within the lack of 11 lives, whereas a blaze on the Bhandara District Common Hospital in Maharashtra killed 10 newborns the identical yr.
These incidents replicate the important deficiencies within the nation’s healthcare services, which begs the query: Are we ready for extra disasters earlier than taking actual motion?
Important Aspects Ignored
Apart from quick harm to infrastructure, disasters can disrupt public companies and trigger extreme pressure on the well being system. Furthermore, sufferers and healthcare suppliers undergo trauma that will result in a sequence of difficulties that stretch past bodily accidents.
The idea of a enterprise continuity plan for well being services is important however typically ignored. These plans should embody not solely structural security but additionally non-structural parts, that are equally essential. Sadly, most well being services in India lack the structural integrity obligatory to face up to disasters. This raises considerations in regards to the effectiveness of catastrophe administration in hospitals, which can be restricted to mere paperwork if the bodily construction fails.
Even in circumstances the place the constructing stays intact, harm to non-structural parts — akin to operation theatres — can halt important procedures. The dearth of correct website choice when developing hospital buildings additional compounds the issue. Many hospitals are constructed with out contemplating the natural-hazard dangers particular to their location, resulting in constructions which are ill-equipped to deal with such incidents.
A research carried out in Delhi between 2016 and 2017 highlighted a worrying development: the notion of structural security amongst hospital workers and guests is commonly primarily based on the exterior look of a constructing moderately than on rigorous assessments. This superficial understanding underscores the pressing want for complete evaluation of structural security throughout all hospitals.
Non-structural security measures, typically uncared for, play a big function in catastrophe preparedness. Many accidents sustained throughout earthquakes and fires are as a consequence of non-structural parts akin to false ceilings and unanchored furnishings. In earthquake-prone areas, hospitals might grow to be non-functional within the quick aftermath of a temblor due to fallen objects that block evacuation routes and hinder motion. Exterior parts, like unsecured water tanks and air-con models, pose extra dangers. Some hospitals, just like the Nationwide Institute of TB and Respiratory Illnesses and Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Delhi, have taken steps to safe these parts, however such measures should not but a normal observe.
The dearth of uniformity in emergency codes utilized by hospitals additional provides to the confusion throughout disasters. When codes range from one hospital to a different, it creates pointless challenges for guests and emergency workers, complicating response efforts.
Mitigation Measures Wanted
The usage of know-how in hospitals appears to be rising and this comes with its personal units of points like knowledge safety. In many of the hospitals, knowledge backup is stored on the identical premises. Though there are pointers for hospital catastrophe administration planning from the Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Authority, efforts are required to make sure implementation. Whereas a number of hospitals have documented plans, most neglect important parts akin to gasoline and gear backup, particularly these with greater than 100 beds. For instance, some services may need energy backup however not sufficient gasoline provide to run repeatedly for a given interval notably throughout outages.
There are internationally examined mitigation measures that India might undertake to enhance catastrophe preparedness in hospitals. Putting in automated flood gates in hospitals situated in low-lying, flood-prone areas, utilizing hydrological sensors for early flood warnings, and establishing sensor-fitted pumping stations to empty floodwater from important areas are all sensible options. In coastal areas, aerodynamic constructing designs with cyclone-resistant glass and roofs might cut back the impression of storms. Moreover, storm surge boundaries might supply safety in opposition to coastal flooding.
Energy failures pose a big threat to hospital operations, notably for life-support programs. Microgrids, able to working independently of the primary energy grid, might present a dependable backup within the occasion of harm to energy infrastructure.
India’s hospitals ought to be fortified in opposition to the ever-present threat of disasters. The nation’s healthcare infrastructure must transcend merely fulfilling regulatory necessities and transfer in direction of implementing sturdy, sensible measures that may face up to the challenges posed by each pure and human-made disasters. Solely then can we guarantee the security of each sufferers and healthcare staff, and keep the integrity of our well being system throughout crises.
The author is a humanitarian and growth skilled.
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.]
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