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.

 

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7.1. Assessment of the level of safety

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7 1 diagnostico del nivelThe absence of accurate and up-to-date information on safety levels and conditions in the health facilities and the fact that many facilities are located in difficult to reach areas have often hindered quantitative assessments of unsafe health facilities and their vulnerability.

 

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7.2. Prioritizing interventions

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priorizacion de intervencionesMaking all facilities safe in disasters is a great challenge, both because of the number of facilities and because of the investment needed to improve safety.

Thus, action must be prioritized, both at the level of health networks and within facilities. The Hospital Safety Index can aid in this task..

 

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7.3. Improving structural safety

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mejoramiento de seguridad estructural-Columns, beams, walls, slabs, foundations and other components form the structural elements that are part of the system that supports a building. Structural engineers should conduct both the assessment and design of these elements. Click here to take a short virtual tour through a ‘safe’ hospital.

 

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7.4. Improving nonstructural safety

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mejoramiento de seguridad no estructuralAs mentioned earlier, nonstructural elements usually do not have an impact on the stability of a building, but they can indeed endanger the lives patients, staff and visitors in the hospital, and they are fundamental to the facility’s operation.

 

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7.5. Improving functional safety

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mejoramiento de seguridad funcionalThe ability of a health facility to function during and after a disaster is also dependent on how well prepared it is–from a technical and administrative organizational standpoint–to respond to the emergency conditions.

 

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