Be prepared for aftermath of natural disasters

AS Barbados and other Caribbean countries are being warned to expect more powerful hurricanes and flooding if the challenges of climate change are not addressed, a local emergency physician is urging authorities to put systems in place to ensure that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and other emergency services can run efficiently in the event of a natural disaster.

This call came from Managing Director of Sandy Crest and Coverley Medical Centres, Dr. Brian Charles, as Dominica continues to recover from the passage of Hurricane Maria. Dr. Charles, also the Captain in the Barbados Defence Force’s Reserves, was a part of an initial team that travelled to the island to make a preliminary assessment of the damage and provide some relief.

He said hurricane Maria had a disastrous impact on Dominica, most notably as it related to accessing and providing medical care. Dr. Charles further pointed out that there were several issues from a health perspective, most notably the fact that those who were injured or ill, had nowhere to seek medical assistance in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, as there was significant damage to the country’s main hospital and several other health care facilities were completely destroyed.

He added that the situation was compounded by the fact that there was no system in place to provide relief for those doctors and nurses at the Princess Margaret Hospital, who were on duty as the hurricane struck the island.

“For our health system, there needs to be some way of making your staff comfortable during and after the first few days of a hurricane. Our health sector needs to be able to have some way that those who are working for the community of the government, that they are fed, watered, rested and adequately taken care of during and after,” he said.

The doctor added that while Dominica’s Emergency Operations Centre had plans in place for the emergency personnel to be relieved between eight and ten hours following a hurricane, staff was not relieved for days following the passage of Hurricane Maria.