Aisyatul Mukminah's Weblog

Reference :

McIntosh, J., Jacques, C., Mitrani-Reiser, J., Kirsch, T., Giovinazzi, S., Wilson, T., (2012) “The impact of the February 22, 2011 earthquake on Christchurch Hospital”. New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) conference proceedings, Christchurch, New Zealand

The 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand caused major damage to critical infrastructure, including the health care system. The Natural Hazard Platform of NZ is funding a short-term project called “Hospital Functions and Services” to support the efforts of the Canterbury District Health Council (CDHB) to capture standardized data describing the impact of an earthquake. The project uses a survey tool originally developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to assess the loss of function of hospitals in the area of the main hospital system of the Canterbury ah Maule and Bío-Bío regions following the 8.8 mw Maule earthquake on 27 February 2010 in Chile. This paper describes the application of the JHU tool to survey the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on the CDHB Hospital System, including the residual capacity of the system to provide emergency response and health care. A brief summary of the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on other CDHB public and private hospitals is also provided. This study shows that, as observed in other earthquakes around the world, the damage effects of non-structural building components, equipment, utility lifelines, and transportation are much more disruptive than the minor structural damage observed in buildings (FEMA 2007). Earthquake-related complications with resupply and other organizational aspects also impact emergency response and the remaining capacity of health facilities to provide services in the short and long term. A survey tool originally developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to assess the loss of function of hospitals in the Maule and Bío-Bío regions following the 8.8 mw Maule earthquake on 27 February 2010 in Chile. application of the JHU tool to survey the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on the CDHB Hospital System, explaining that the effects of damage to non-structural building components, equipment, utility lifelines, and transportation are far more disruptive than the minor structural damage observed to buildings (FEMA 2007).

Also Complications related to earthquakes with re-supply and other organizational aspects also impact on emergency response and the remaining capacity of health facilities to provide services in the short and long term However, a quasi-experimental study research (GoWell) in the UK emphasizes that health equity is prioritized in dealing with the impact of disasters with environmental reform that is truly proportional. Recommendations for reducing health inequalities often emphasize improvements in the socio-environmental determinants of health. Proponents of ‘proportional universalism’ argue that such improvements should be allocated. (Egan, M.; Kearns, A.; Kattikreddi, S.V.; Curl, A.; Lawson, K.; Tannahill, C. (University of Canterbury. Geography, 2016)

Concern for health related non-injury psycho-social stress factors, there is a spatial relationship between the degree of physical damage from natural disasters. Handling the impact of disasters related to non-injury psychosocial stress (Kingham, S. (University of Canterbury. Geography, 2012)

Conclusion :

Impact of disasters including Earthquakes can cause damage to non-structural building components, equipment, utility and transportation lifelines much more disruptive than the minor structural damage observed in buildings this has been investigated using the John Hopkins University (JHU) survey tool by assessing the loss of hospital function in the Maule and Bío-Bío regions after the mw 8.8 Maule earthquake on 27 February 2010 in Chile. I agree with the results of the study, but it is necessary to measure the impact of the earthquake in other regions or countries. The UK 2014 recommended emphasizing health equity for improvement in dealing with the impact of disasters on environmental reform. It is important to remember that non-injury psychosocial stress factors are also very important to consider in relation to the impact of natural disasters that cause physical damage.