Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T07:49:11.931Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Analysis of Medical Needs on Day 7 after the Tsunami Disaster in Papua New Guinea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Yasushi Asari ,
Yuichi Koido ,
Ken Nakamura ,
Yasuhiro Yamamoto  and
Muneo Ohta
Yasushi Asari*
Affiliation:
Department of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kitasato University
Yuichi Koido
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School
Ken Nakamura
Affiliation:
Overseas Disaster Assistance Division, Economic Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
Yasuhiro Yamamoto
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Nippon Medical School
Muneo Ohta
Affiliation:
Osaka Prefectual Senri Critical Care Medicine Center
*
*Department of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kitasato University, 1–15–1 Kitasato, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa, Japan.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction:

Because of great intervening distances, international medical relief activities in catastrophic, sudden-onset disasters often do not begin until days 5–7 after the precipitating event. The medical needs of those affected and what public health problems exist in the community in the week after the tsunami disaster in Papua New Guinea(PNG) were investigated.

Methods:

The Japan Medical Team for Disaster Relief (JMTDR) conducted investigative hearings at the District Office responsible for the management of the disaster, the Care Center, and the Hospitals in Aitape, Vanimo, and Wewak in PNG.

Results:

The numbers of in-patients in the Aitate, Vanimo, and Wewak Hospitals, and in the Care Center in Aitape were 291, >300, 68, and 104, respectively. The exact number of people affected was unknown at the Aitape District Office. There ivas no lack of medical supplies and drugs in the hospital, but the Care Center in Aitape did not have sufficient quantities of antibiotics. No outbreak of communicable disease occurred, despite the presence of risk factors such as the dense concentration of affected people and the constant prevalence of malaria and diarrhea. The water at Wewak General Hospital contained chlorine and was suitable for drinking, but that elsewhere contained bacteria.

Conclusions:

On about the 7th day after the event, the available information still was incomplete, and it was a time to shift from initial emergency activities to specialized medical care. Although no outbreak of communicable disease actually occurred, there was much anxiety about it because of the risk factors present. For effective medical care at this stage, it is essential to conduct a survey of actual medical needs that also include epidemiological factors.

Keywords

communicable diseasesdisasterinternational reliefJICAJMTDRmedical needsPapua New Guineatsunamiwater quality
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 9 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Pretto, EA, Safar, P: National medical response to mass disasters in the United States. Are we prepared? JAMA 1991;266:1259–1262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Noji, EK, Kelen, GD, Armenian, HK, Oganessian, A, Jones, NP, Sivertson, KT: The 1988 earthquake in Soviet Armenia: A case study. Ann Emerg Med 1990;19:891–897.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Frechette, CN: Rescuing earthquake victims in Armenia. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 1989;84:838–840.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Schultz, CH, Koenig, KL, Noji, EK: A medical disaster response to reduce immediate mortality after an earthquake. N Engl J Med 1996;334:438–444.Google Scholar
5.de Ville de Goyet, C, del Cid, E, Romero, A, Jeannee, E, Lechat, M: Earthquake in Guatemala: Epidemiologic evaluation of the relief effort. Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization 1976;10:95–109.Google Scholar
6.Taylor, PR, Emonson, DL, Schlimmer, JE: Operation Shaddock the Australian Defence Force response to the tsunami disaster in Papua New Guinea. Medical Journal of Australia 1998;169:602–606.Google Scholar
7.Nakamura, K, Koido, Y, Asari, Y: Report on the Tsunami Disaster in Papua New Guinea. Japan Disaster Relief Team. JICA, 1999.Google Scholar
8.Hirakawa, T, Fuke, N: Report on the Tornado in Bangladesh, prepared by the Japan Disaster Relief Team. JICA, 1996.Google Scholar
9.Kunii, O, Kato, N, Kunori, T, Takahashi, K, Kaneda, M, Fuke, N: Health impact of the 1996 tornado disaster in Bangladesh. J Jpn Assoc Int Health 1997;11:7–17.Google Scholar
10.Kunii, O, Kunori, T, Takahashi, K, Kaneda, M, Fuke, N: Health impact of 1996 tornado in Bangladesh. Lancet 1996;348:757.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Redmond, AD: Response of the south Manchester accident rescue team to the earthquake in Armenia and the Lockerbie air disaster. BMJ. 1989;299:611–612.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Seaman, J: Disaster epidemiology: Or why most international disaster relief is ineffective. Injury 1990;21:5–8.Google Scholar
13.Wada, K, Soma, Y, Nakahara, M: Aitape tsunami disaster. AMDA Journal 1998;21:2–8.Google Scholar
14.Spencer, HC, Campbell, CC, Romero, A, Zeissig, O, Feldman, RA, Boostrom, ER, Long, EC: Disease-surveillance and decision-making after the 1976 Guatemala earthquake. Lancet 1977;2:181–184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Toole, MJ: Communicable Diseases and Disease Control. In: Noji, EK (ed), The Public Health Consequences of Disasters. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977, pp 79–100.Google Scholar
16.Boyce, WT, Martin, N, Folkman, S, Cohen, F, Wara, D: Immunologic changes occurring at kindergarten entry predict respiratory illnesses after the Loma Prieta earthquake. J Dev Behav Pediatr 1996;14:296–303.Google Scholar
17.Surmieda, MRS, Lopez, JM, Abad-Viola, G, et al: Surveillance in evacuation camps after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines. MMWR CDC Surveillance Summaries 1992;41:9–12.Google Scholar
18.Mintz, ED, Reiff, FM, Tauxe, RV: Safe water treatment and storage in the home. A practical new strategy to prevent waterborne disease. JAMA 1995;273:948–953.Google Scholar