7. Existing health facilities

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7 establecimientosUnlike new health facilities, a country’s existing facilities, in their present state, will be called upon to provide emergency medical services to the public in a disaster situation. In this connection, knowing the safety levels of these buildings is a major concern if countries are to implement corrective measures based on real information and organize the health services to meet the demand that arises.


Functional problems are the principal cause of lack of service in health facilities after disasters. However, despite the fact the measures needed to prevent such problems involve significantly less investment than structural corrections, these issues continue to be a major challenge technically, politically, and at the management level.

As a general rule, fewer resources are allocated to preventive maintenance in existing health facilities, either because of lack of budgetary resources, or a lack of specialists and insufficient training—primarily in managing a schedule of preventive maintenance for disaster situations. The result is often reactive repair measures when damage or malfunctions occur, while anticipatory protective measures are postponed or neglected.

As this section demonstrates, taking measures to reduce vulnerability in an existing health facility requires first assessing its disaster safety, so that mitigation interventions can be prioritized—structural, nonstructural, and functional.

Finally, it should be noted that improving the safety of an existing health facility requires the active participation of health workers, who should be strong advocates for risk reduction in their workplace. This means involvement at various levels: identifying risks, providing for and implementing necessary corrective measures, and supporting preparedness for effective response.

Learn more on protecting existing health services in emergencies and disasters:

 

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