Mass preparedness stressed to face quake aftermath

They said such step at institutions like hospitals and schools would greatly help to keep the loss of lives and property at a minimum level with optimum services to the victims when a natural disaster particularly an earthquake strikes.

Referring to the bitter experience of the trial of devastation left by hurricane Katerina in the United States last year, the speakers pointed that Bangladesh must have a work plan and preparation with adequate logistic supports to face the earthquake or other natural disasters.

They, however, praised Bangladesh's disaster preparedness programmes that earned much appreciation internationally for having been able to cope up with the natural disasters like floods and cyclones.

Action Aid Bangladesh (AAB) has selected Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) to execute the project titled "Reducing the Risks of Vulnerable Communities to Flood and Earthquake (RRVC)" with financial assistance from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid office.

AAB is implementing the RRVC project under EC's DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness-European Commission Humanitarian Organisation) programme. The aim of the 7-month project from July this year is to facilitate the hospital's preparedness against earthquake, officials concerned told BSS.

Under the project, they said, experts from home and abroad will disseminate knowledge to the hospital staffs on mass casualty management and provide necessary support to develop a contingency plan to this effect.

With CMH Director Brig, Gen Abidur Rahman in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Dr F Karim of Chittagong Shishu Hospital, Dipecho Project Manager Catelijne Mittendorff and AAB's Shihab Uddin Ahmad.

Brig Gen Abidur Rahman said it would be really difficult for a public referral hospital like CMCH with poor logistic support to deal with the massive influx of victims and critically injured persons following a powerful earthquake.

"The hospital itself is vulnerable in such a critical time and the situation may worsen many times when hundreds of people with critical injuries will rush here every moment," he said adding, the hospital is now handling 1,700 patients daily against the seat capacity of 1,000.

Addressing the function, Catelijne Mittendorff said EC is funding such projects worldwide in a bigger way as it has shifted its outlook and mindset to proactive aspects from the previous reactive role on the issue of disaster management.