Multi-hazard management plan rolled out in Region seven

Jul 03, 2017 News

The importance of Guyana’s Health – via a Multi-Hazard Emergency Management Plan – is being explored by the Public Health Ministry, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and PAHO/WHO. As such, a four-day simulation exercise designed to test the Plan was conducted in Bartica.
The activity outlined the capacity to manage any disaster in the gold-mining municipality.
Region Seven Chairman Mr. Gordon Bradford, who lauded the initiative, reminded the 25 participants during his address that “once you understand something, you are better able to respond. Your early and timely response may very well save lives or more destruction.”
Stressing the pivotal role of preparedness, Bradford pointed trainees to the outcomes of catastrophic events.
“For instance, when we look at flooding, everybody thinks about rainfall and water on the land, and everyone feels that’s the end of it. But, if we are not prepared and we don’t take the correct action, the aftermath of the flood might be more devastation than the flood itself.”

A roundtable discussion on the Multi-Hazard Emergency Management Plan

Also addressing the gathering was Bradford’s deputy, Olinda Kyrenhoff-Griffith, who opined that, “I would say that the training was much needed. Things were done in the past, but we hadn’t a functional structure in place. Now all the agencies will be able to better respond if a crisis or disaster hits the region,”
Kyrenhoff-Griffith also praised the initiative as “an opening to make stakeholders understand their functions in a health situation. Health involves everyone and not just the hospital administration”.
Major Sean Welcome, CDCs Preparedness and Response Manager said the Regional Multi-Hazard Preparedness and Response Plan (RMHPRP) shows how regional authorities and stakeholders conduct Disaster Risk Management (DRM) within their region.
“The plan details all hazards/comprehensive approaches to the DRM,” Welcome explained.
As facilitator of the exercise, Welcome said that Barticians will benefit in many ways from implementation of the plan.
“Generally, it provides them a structured, coherent and collaborative framework that provides better/enhanced DRM in facilitating timely response, detailed and accurate damage assessment,” Welcome said.
“I believe I was able to achieve the objectives of the four days. The manifestation of this achievement is the quality of input from the participants during the (simulation) exercise; the demonstration of learning and the transfer of knowledge”, he said.
Also speaking was Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Alicia Newton, who related that her department plays a vital role in sensitising the community on maintenance measures to facilitate proper sanitation at all times, especially in cases of a health emergency or disaster.
Kelwya Yaw, Officer in charge at the Bartica Fire Station said “it is important that each agency understand their roles and functions especially since some of us are first responders at a situation”.
Regional Health Officer Dr. Edward Sagala also addressed the participants. He opined that the simulation exercise has better prepared the Hospital’s administration and other stakeholders to handle an emergencies and disasters.
PAHO/WHO Disaster Preparedness and Response and Smart Hospitals Initiative consultant, Dhaneshwar Deonarine; Abbigail Liverpool, Principal Environmental Health Officer/ Health Disaster Coordinator, MoPH, and Devaughn Lewis, First Aid Coordinator, Red Cross also formed part of the facilitating and coordinating team which travelled from Georgetown for the exercise.

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