Mexican Border Authorities Analyze Hospital Plan Model for Disaster Response

Matamoros, Mexico, March 24, 2011 (PAHO/WHO) - Due to recent adverse events occurred in the Americas, as the floods in Central America, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil; as well as the earthquake in Haiti that collapsed the hospital system in Puerto Principe or the earthquake in Mexicali, Mexico, are just some examples that evoke up images of collapsed and evacuated hospitals due to damage to its infrastructure that seriously compromised functionality, disrupting patient care, preventing timely care to those affected by the calamity and endangering the safety of their workers. During a disaster situation, hospitals play a key role when the response articulators and the places where people seek care for immediate health needs.

To reduce risk and ensure an adequate and timely response from harm, it is essential that the health sector has plans and processes of organization and sectoral coordination, structured and implemented in advance, involving health sector institutions, looking for the best use resources and complementarity of services. Therefore, the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization Office United States-Mexico Border (PAHO / WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the State of Sonora organize a workshop to discuss a model of hospital plan disaster preparedness and response to be made on:

"Our communities are frequently affected by adverse events of varying magnitude that test our ability to respond.", said  Dr. Maria Teresa Cerqueira, Chief of the PAHO/WHO U.S.-Mexico Border Office. "It is necessary that all of us, from our different roles, are prepared for any emergency or disaster, and to preserve our own security and ensure that the residents of our region have a quality health care in a secure hospital.”

Proper planning will allow the establishment to continue functioning during a disaster situation which is the objective that we hope to find with the initiative of a ”secure hospital” that is designed as a health service that remains accessible and running to its maximum capacity after a destructive phenomenon of great intensity of natural or man-made origin.  Of equal importance is the fact that at the current time, Mexico is in the process of certification of all its hospital units, one of which aspect is precisely concerning safety.

This effort will not only benefit the inpatient or potential product of the disaster, if not more especially ensuring the safety of health professionals working at the hospital providing the tools and techniques needed to respond appropriately during and after the adverse event.