Preparedness Plan to Manage Flood Victims

Base Hospital Horana

Introduction
Floods which are one of the major disasters in South Asia including Sri Lanka are also among the
most common and destructive natural hazards causing extensive damage to infrastructure and also
to the human health. Heavy rains, a phenomenon Sri Lanka is never lack of, are the major causing
factor for floods.

Having a rich rainfall to most parts of the country during many months of the year, the annual
average being 1861mm of rain, many districts are vulnerable for floods. The most affected districts
are Kalutara, Rathnapura, and Colombo, among which Kalutara district has the highest vulnerability
reaching an annual average rainfall of over 3000mm.

As for the management of any natural disaster, the key to success in management of flood situations
is a good preparedness plan supported by an early warning system, location of river gauges at
vulnerable sites and participation of community. Assessment of the risk, vulnerability and the
exposure are the important factors to look into in the capacity building and the main components in
the management of floods are, search and rescue, immediate assessment and restoration.

The management definitely is a multidisciplinary team work where health sector also has to play a
key role, mainly in the acute management of victims and not to forget, in the long term
management as well. Any health facility which is susceptible to receive such victims should have a
good preparedness plan and a response mechanism which may allow immediate action without
delay when the necessity arises.

Depending on the factors the health sector has to contribute, the management of flood situations by
the health team is divided into three main categories. Immediate management which is handling the
injured and dead due mainly to drowning and also due to various other flood related consequences.
Intermediate management which includes supplying the basic needs like food, water, electricity and
shelter, disposal of garbage and providing hygiene facilities. Long term management mainly to
emphasize on infection control and vaccination, post-disaster psychological support and
reconstruction and relocation of the health care facilities for the displaced people.

Flood and Health

Health effects of the floods can be direct due to contact with flood water or indirect due to damage
to infrastructure, ecosystems, food and water supplies or social support systems. These effects could
be immediate or may appear through days, weeks or months.

 Direct effects on people exposed to flood water

1. Drowning

2. Injuries from: contact with debris and submerged objects in flood water

falling into hidden manholes

trying to move possessions during floods

building collapse and damage

electrocution
3. Diarrhoeal, vector- and rodent-borne disease

4. Respiratory, skin and eye infections

5. Stress, and short and longer-term mental health disorders, including the impacts of
displacement

6. Negative health effects linked with overcrowding

 Indirect effects are vast and can be due to

1. Damage to health care infrastructure, leading to loss of access to essential health care
facilities also causing worsening of pre-existed health problems

2. Contamination of water

3. Damage to water and sanitation infrastructure

4. Damage to crops and disruption of food supplies

5. Disruption of livelihoods and income

All above health effects vary between affected populations depending on the vulnerability and the
background health situation of the population and the type of flood event.

Hospital Preparedness
A hospital preparedness is bidirectional if the hospital is situated in an area which is susceptible to
floods, because apart from getting ready to receive increased influx of casualties the facility itself
should be pre-prepared to continue its health care provision without disruption in the time of floods.

The main concern in this document would be the preparedness of the hospital to handle the flood
victims and their related acute and long term health concerns.

Hospital preparedness plan to manage flood Victims-Base Hospital Horana

Pre-plan
1. Establishment of the Flood assessment and management committee

Members-Medical Superintendent, Deputy Medical Superintendent, MO-Planning, MO-QMU, MO-

Public Health, MO-Health Informatics, MO- Statistics unit, Administrative officer, MOIC-PCU

2. Reception of information about floods through RDHS- Kalutara and by other systems eg;
Flamingo

3. MOIC-PCU to act as the focal point in the hospital

4. To identify Other Doctors /RHOs, Nursing officers and Minor staff who can be moved from
other units to be involved in emergency situations; their contact details to be noted.

5. Ensuring adequate drugs, surgical material and other equipment and resources to handle a
mass casualty provided the necessity arises.

6. An ambulance and a team always to be ready to leave for the rescue.

7. Training to those healthcare workers on how to manage a flood situation and the victims.

Plan
1. MOIC-PCU to coordinate the emergency situation.

2. Activation of the already existing Disaster management plan

3. A group from the PCU to be sent to the site if necessary for searching, rescuing and for
immediate restoration purposes

4. PCU and the wards to be alarmed to be ready to receive patients if any

5. Recruitment of the above identified additional staff provided the necessity arises

Long term

1. Continuous collaboration throughout the event with RDHS, PDHS and Ministry of Health
regarding the flood management plan

2. Searching and directing donors to help IDPs

3. Continuous support for IDP camps as directed by the RDHS

-Health education for people

-Infection control measures

-Psychological support teams

4. Sending teams to IDP camps for clinics or conduction of the clinics through tele-medicine

5. Distribution of pharmaceuticals to people (who request for) of flooded areas through AGA or
Post