Hurricane Katrina has created immediate dangers to public health. It has
destroyed or degraded the capacity to deliver emergency care, primary care, inpatient hospital services, long-term care, and mental health care
. And it has dramatically increased the number of uninsured and impoverished Americans.
How did hospitals respond to Hurricane Katrina?
Hospitals in Katrina found themselves crippled by a lack of preparation, with emergency and evacuation drills that had not been practiced in years. Because of this,
staff had to improvise evacuations of the most critical patients, transporting them up to rooftop parking areas to await helicopter rescue.
What were the major determinants of health and health risks following Katrina?
Hurricane Katrina brought with it
flood waters, the loss of power, little livable space left, and a breeding ground for mosquitoes
. This in turn caused molds to grow, endotoxin levels to rise, little clean drinking water, spoiled food, West Nile virus concerns, and many other causes for a person to be sick.
What aid did Hurricane Katrina provide?
HUD was involved with three major programs as part of the recovery from Hurricane Katrina:
the CDBG-DR program, the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), and the redevelopment of New Orleans Public Housing
.
The reason: a wave of medical needs — beyond injuries — from patients without resources. On a typical day, hospitals can be chaotic. But when a natural disaster hits,
occupancy rates — and stress levels of health care workers — can be pushed to the limit
. Both represent significant barriers to optimal care.
How does natural disasters affect healthcare?
Disasters directly impact the health of the population resulting in physical trauma, acute disease and emotional trauma. In addition,
disasters may increase the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic disease and infectious disease
through the impact on the health care system.
How do hurricanes affect hospitals?
In the aftermath of a disaster,
hospitals may suffer power loss
. Emergency plans call for backup power and other contingency systems. Uninterrupted power is critical, since some patients may be connected to lifesaving equipment.
What happened to the nurses during Hurricane Katrina?
A doctor and two nurses were arrested overnight in New Orleans, where they are charged with second-degree murder in connection with patient deaths at a city hospital
. The deaths occurred in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina.
How many patients died at Charity Hospital during Katrina?
On September 11, 45 bodies were recovered from Memorial Medical Center,
about five
of whom had died before the disaster (originally thought to be eleven). Out of an estimated 215 bodies found in nursing homes and hospitals in New Orleans, Memorial had the largest number.
What are hurricane effects?
Hurricanes are one of nature's most powerful storms. They produce
strong winds, storm surge flooding, and heavy rainfall that can lead to inland flooding, tornadoes, and rip currents
.
The hurricane left hundreds of thousands of people without access to their homes or jobs, it separated people from relatives, and caused both physical and mental distress on those who suffered through the storm and its aftermath, such as Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Why was the response to Hurricane Katrina so ineffective?
Four overarching factors contributed to the failures of Katrina: 1)
long-term warnings went unheeded and government officials neglected their duties to prepare for a forewarned catastrophe
; 2) government officials took insufficient actions or made poor decisions in the days immediately before and after landfall; 3) …
How does disaster impact human health?
Disasters have direct and indirect effects on the health systems. Death, injury, psychological damages, disability, acute and chronic diseases, infectious diseases, the loss of active work force, destruction of health centers and infrastructures, loss of traditional ways of life and work are among these effects [22] .
How do natural disasters affect hospitals?
Natural disasters
can overwhelm busy hospitals for days after storms dissipate
. The reason: a wave of medical needs — beyond injuries — from patients without resources. On a typical day, hospitals can be chaotic.
What is disaster management in healthcare?
This programme aims to equip healthcare professionals working in hospital and healthcare organizations to plan and respond to disasters in terms of risk and hazard assessment, risk reduction, and preparedness and response management
.
What are the three negative effects of disasters on people's lives?
In a disaster,
you face the danger of death or physical injury. You may also lose your home, possessions, and community
. Such stressors place you at risk for emotional and physical health problems. Stress reactions after a disaster look very much like the common reactions seen after any type of trauma.
How are indirect health effects caused in disasters?
Indirect health impacts of disasters can result from
unmet primary healthcare needs after a disaster due to the change in healthcare demands, and reduced capacity of the health system to meet these needs and baseline healthcare needs
(for example, prenatal care, chronic disease management, etc.)
What is the role of health care providers in a disaster response?
The role of public health providers is to
promote, protect, and improve the health of individuals and communities
. After a major disaster, public health workers are often called upon to participate in a coordinated response to save lives and prevent unfavorable outcomes to vulnerable populations.
How would a hurricane be handled in a healthcare facility?
For serious hurricanes and storms,
patients may be air-lifted by helicopter to other facilities
. Facilities will sometimes assign categories to each of their patients based on evacuation priority – Level 1 for immediate necessity, Level 2 and Level 3.
Is a hospital safe during a hurricane?
Hospitals have only two main options when facing a hurricane;
they can either ride out the storm and shelter in place, or evacuate the hospital to an alternate care facilities located in a safer area.
What are nursing implications for hurricanes?
- Keep the lines of communication open. “First and foremost, communication is key,” says Clark. …
- Provide ongoing support for staff. …
- Be available to staff during storms. …
- Work hand-in-hand with other healthcare providers. …
- Hold a debriefing session after the storm passes.
What happened to Charity hospital during Katrina?
The article states that: “
Charity flooded only in the basement
during Katrina. In an extraordinary act of dedication and volunteerism, a 200-person medical and military team brought in a 600-kilowatt generator, pumped out the water and prepared the hospital for service.
What happened to Memorial hospital in New Orleans after Katrina?
After Katrina struck the city, conditions at New Orleans' Memorial hospital were horrendous.
The hospital was surrounded by water, power was out and back-up generators failed
. Temperatures inside the hospital quickly soared past 100 degrees and patients were in distress.
What did Anna Pou do?
In July 2006, Louisiana's attorney general, Charles Foti, shocked the country by arresting Pou and two nurses, accusing them of
administering morphine and midazolam to kill four elderly patients
on September 1, 2005, the day patient evacuation was completed.
