Disaster Management, Preparedness and Disability

Four group are more vulnerable towards disaster: women, children, people with disability and elderly people. To give understanding about disaster vigilance towards those four groups, PIDA ( Pusat Informasi Difabel Aceh ), Aceh Disability Information Center is an information center for those with physical limitation.

This organization is supported by handicap International and DPO ( Disability People Organization ). To support the socialization program and as information resources, PIDA in collaboration with DPO POTA and Djati Radio hold a participative radio program focusing on disaster risk reduction. The program is expected to give knowledge to the community, especially radio listener, on the importance of having such knowledge so that they will be able to reduce their vulnerability and improve their vigilance towards disaster. Moreover, this program aims to help people who are included in those four vulnerable group categories.

Ironically, among these vulnerable groups, persons with disability are the one who will get the most impact when disaster occurs. They will face difficulties in many ways especially when they try to rescue themselves. This is not concerning only persons with disability, but also persons without physical disability. This situation will worsen if not enough specific information is previously given. When a disaster occurs, most part of the community will experience a great panic, and this must be avoided, especially by those concerned with physical limitation.

PIDA's activity will strengthen the coordination and network among DPOs to achieve common understanding in various cases, especially with the support from many parties and by trainings. With the existence of radio programs on disaster risk reduction, DPO members will gain knowledge and new skills, specifically in using mass media for promotion. Additionally mass media can be used to socialize rights fulfillment of person with disability. This activity focuses on the partisipation of DPOs in encouraging independence to run radio program, and will develop leadership skill of DPO members. Person with disability will be informed by their representative through radio on the vigilance when a disaster strikes as well as how to reduce their vulnerability when facing dangerous situations. So by this way it is expected that the concerned group ( person with disability, women, children and elderly people ) will have equal opportunity to survive and be safe from danger.

Youth Disaster Response Organization is Formed

Indonesia is a country with high potential of disasters. Based on data from Crisis Cope Center, ( Ministry of Health ), from 2006 until june 2009. there was an increase in the frequency of disaster occurrence in Indonesia. In 2006, there were 162 disasters recorded, 456 in 2008, and 204 by june 2009. While the number of victims in 2006 was recorded with 7,618 death. In 2007 they were 766, and 337 people in 2008. By June 2009, 233 people died.

Victims died because disaster from year to year cannot be minimized. But it is possible to improve the situation with better prevention measures, mitigation and preparedness. To help disaster mitigation, Indonesian Health Department formed an association of Youth Disaster Response Team ( Dasipena ) spread all over Indonesia. Therefore it takes readiness of all parties especially young generations to participate.

The launching of the Youth Disaster Response Teams ( Dasipena ) which are trained with simulations is expected to help the population when it is necessarry. This program has been carried out by central and local governments, all health personnel and also community partisipation.

"The Youth Disaster Response Team aims to mitigate each disaster and to help people cope in cataclysm to recover quickly as it should be" , said Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari in Monas, Jakarta. Then she added: " Quick response can prevent us from contagious disease caused by disaster like flood. Dasipena trained groups may improve the preparedness of government and community to face disaster."

In Indonesia, the creation of the fisrt Youth Disaster Response Team was announced officially on May 5th 2008. They raised over 1,600 people. The second Dasipena team was formed in Semarang, Central Java on July 31th 2009 and trained 4,500 people. And then in Surabaya, East Java ( August 19th 2008 ), Denpasar, Bali ( October 14th 2008 ), and Bandung, West Java ( December 20th 2008 ) with respectively 5,000, 1,500, and 2,000 people trained. Last group is formed in Banjarmasin South Kalimantan and gathered 2,000 people. Dasipena will be organized in four more province including South Sulawesi, South Sumatera, North Sumatera and Aceh this year, with at least 28,300 participants around the country.

Health Service is on Alert For 24 hours

When a Bomb blasted last July at JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels many parties were busy, not only Police Department but also Health Service of Jakarta the capital. During the incidence, a number of helath officer teams and ambulances were provided for 24 hours.

To give help for victims of bomb blast in Mega Kuningan Jakarta Selatan, Health Service of DKI Jakarta also provides referred hospitals within an emergency organization called Ring I and Ring II.

Hospitals that have been prepared are MMC Hospital, Jakarta Hospital, and Medistra Hospital as Ring one. The next step was to coordinate the readiness of ambulance for transportation and treatment for avacuated victims at some local government hospitals ( RSUD ), government hospitals, private hospitals such as RSUD Tarakan, RSUD Pasar Rebo, RSAL Mintohardjo, RSP Pertamina, RSUP Fatmawati, RS Tebet, RSCM, RSPAD Gatot Subroto as hospitals ring two.

So far there have been 53 people who have received treatment. From all of the victims; 39 were treated at MMC hospital, one at Pertamina Hospital, 10 at Jakarta Hospital and 2 at Medistra Hospital. Six people died during the blast and later, three in hospitals.

At the time of this emergency, the head of Health Service of DKI Jakarta, Dien Emmawati stated that her office was ready to assist with the implementation of handling the health, medication and evacuation of the victims due to bomb blasts. " We are on alert for 24 hours to help the haelth division in relation with the bomb blast in Jakarta."

DISASTER MANAGEMEN & PREPAREDNESS

Earthquake, flooding, forest fire, landslide, tsunami. Indonesia is one of the most exposed countries to all kinds of disasters. Some of which can take heavy toll on human life but also damage health facilities.

For instance, the tsunami in aceh and the earthquakes in Nias and Yogyakarta have together damage approximately 715 health infrastructure. Thus, the damage facilities lost their capacity to provide health services.

Whether these disasters are natural or unnatural when they cannot be prevented, they must be faced. Our immediate reactions and the challenges that arise are of the highest importance: preparedness and mitigation helps save lives. Community health wokers are always on the first line when a disaster strikes.

The HM12 is dedicated to this very important issue: Disaster Management and Preparedness.
Triage, psychological care, communicable disease prevention after s disaster, etc. We have gathered technical, social and medical information to be used in case of.

We all hope never to have to use them as it would mean a disaster happened but at least, you and the community health wokers are ready to face a disaster and help to save lives. Disaster Management Preparedness needs the involvemetn of everyone: from the children to the elderly and from the decision makers to the health wokers.