HEALTH SECTOR SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

IN GRENADA

TERENCE WALTERSDEPUTY DISASTER COORDINATOR

NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NaDMA)GRENADA

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Grenada is located in the southern Caribbean and is one of the CDEMA Participating States (PS)

CDEMA – Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. Regional body responsible for driving the DRR programme in the Caribbean

Grenada complies with the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) approach as put forward by CDEMA (The management of all hazards, through all phases by all people)

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Grenada’s Disaster Management Structure is integrative and Inclusive

It includes all sectors and all people

Ministry of Finance Ministry of Works Ministry of Education Ministry of Health Royal Grenada Police Force Social Services Communities/Villages

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Grenada views the Health Sector involvement in DRR as very critical and important

The Health Services Sub Committee of the NDO is very active

This area must be given significant attention because of the health challenges that present after any disaster

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RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTH SERVICES COMMITTEE

• Co-ordination of medical and first-aid assistance

• Requisitioning of medical supplies

• Proper identification of health service workers and first aid personnel and First-Aid stations

• Co-ordinating arrangements with Transport sub-committee for the use of additional vehicles

• Training of health service workers and emergency First-Aid personnel • Provision of environmental health services at emergency shelters

• Preparing a list of all health facilities including pharmacies, in the State, which can be used in the event of a disaster.

• Ensure counselling is provided to population affected in the case of a disaster.

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HEALTH SECTOR SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

A tool for HS Disaster Coordinators to assess and apply themselves for their own programming & learning purposes

Assist countries in developing a snapshot of ‘where they are’ in terms of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the HS

DEVEOPLED BY PAHO

HEALTH SECTOR ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR DRRPHASES & COMPONENTS

• MITIGATION– Risk Identification• Hazard, vulnerability, and risk

assessments

– Soft (Non-structural) Mitigation• Land-use planning and building

code

– Hard (Structural) Mitigation• Assessment of new and old facilities

HEALTH SECTOR ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR DRR PHASES & COMPONENTS

• PREPAREDNESS– DRM Governance

• Legal, policy and systemic frameworks– HS DRM Planning

• Planning frameworks, national-level and facility-level plans

– HS DRM Resources• Material and human resources

– HS DRM Public Awareness• Pre-event awareness and post-event

public health information

HEALTH SECTOR ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR DRR

ADVANCES ISDR TERMINOLOGY:

The Tool utilizes the accepted terminology in the field of disaster risk and disaster management as advanced by ISDR

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The health sector encompasses all entities that produce actions, services, goods, opportunities, and knowledge that contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the individual and collective health. This includes the economic and productive activities of other sectors which impact on health; the political decisions, and their legal-administrative forms of expression, as well as environmental and educational interventions that influence the health determinants.

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THE PROCESS

• The assessment was conducted in Grenada over a two day period, June 18 and 19, 2010

• It consisted of a Working Group meeting with HS Stakeholders, and

• Meeting with national disaster coordinator to corroborate HS response

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STAKEHOLDERS• Hospital Administrator• Hospital Director• Health Disaster Co-ordinator• Chief Nursing Officer• Representative of Private Pharmacies• Representative of Private hospital • Medical Officer of Health• Senior Community Health Nurse• Representative from Central Medical Stores• National Disaster Coordinator • PAHO Country Programme Officer

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FINDINGS - MITIGATION

RISK IDENTIFICATION:

– Vulnerability assessments completed for some public sector health facilities (HSI)

– Flood studies conducted & flood maps exists but not used for planning

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FINDINGS - MITIGATIONSOFT MITIGATION

– HS was never involved in land-use planning

– Except for the General Hospital, respondents could not confirm whether facilities were built to code

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FINDINGS - MITIGATION

HARD MITIGATION

– No mitigation program

– Hospital safety improvement plan not totally implemented

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FINDINGS - PREPAREDNESSDRM GOVERNANCE:– Health Service Committee very active, performs

both emergency response and advisory functions

– Health Disaster Coordinator (HDC) exist but does not have sufficient resources to lead a HS DRM programme

– Lack of key policies and legislation

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FINDINGS - PREPAREDNESSHS DRM PLANNING:

– National Pandemic Preparedness Plan completed

– National HS Disaster Plan almost completed

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FINDINGS - PREPAREDNESSHS DRM RESOURCES:

– All health facilities equipped with an emergency power supply

– Adequate island wide emergency communication

– DRM included in training curricula for HS practitioners

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FINDINGS - PREPAREDNESSHS DRM PUBLIC AWARENESS:

– Health Promotion Department broadcasts health disaster messages annually

– No dedicated public awareness program and no planned public awareness strategy in place

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RECOMMENDATIONS

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION

– Establish full-time Health Disaster Coordinator with:• Dedicated office

• Minimum of one administrative officer

• Financial resources

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RECOMMENDATIONS

MITIGATION– Develop Awareness and Training Programs to enhance the HS’s

familiarity with risk reduction and mitigation issues – Get health officials and practitioners more involved with:

• Site selection of facility• Design of facility• Construction of facility

– Expansion of Safe Hospital Initiative to all national facilities– Review building codes to ensure that it contains provisions

which are specific to health facilities – Enhance DDR information knowledge sharing

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RECOMMENDATIONS

PREPAREDNESS (I)– Develop an HS DRM Policy– Develop HS DRM program plan – Design, plan and execute an annual simulation exercise based on

national HS DRM plans – Test all health facilities disaster plans– Develop implementation plan for to address recommendations of

the vulnerability assessment of community health facilities – Establish dedicated office for HS DRM with DRM information (e.g.

maps, plans, training material)

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RECOMMENDATIONS

PREPAREDNESS (II)– Expand Health Services Committee to include

greater representation from private sector facilities– Review MOU with La Qua Brothers Funeral Home– Establish MOUs with with private health services

providers, e.g. St. Georges University and St. Augustine Medical Service to utilize facilities

– Integrate HS DRM into educational training courses– Develop public awareness strategy

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WAY FORWARD

The government of Grenada recognizes the importance of the contribution of all sub-sectors in the DRM process

The Health Sector Self Assessment Tool for Disaster Risk Reduction has presented an opportunity for the government to review its policies as it relates to Health Services in DRR

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WAY FORWARD

Given the current economic constraints, government understands the importance of investing in DRR today in order to reduce cost of disasters in the future

Government is working with CDEMA towards the development of legislation for DRR in Grenada

Government is working towards mainstreaming DRR at all levels

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WAY FORWARD

CHALLENGES – Training– Limited financial resources– No Legislation

The government of Grenada embraces Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) as put forward by CDEMA in an effort to ensure that all phases of the Disaster Management cycle are integrally and adequately addressed by all people

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THANK YOU

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