Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector

Chapter 5: Key characteristics of emergency supplies 39
the event of an accident. Knowledge of these standards ensures the proper
handling of hazardous materials.
One such set of guidelines, the 2000 Emergency Response Guidebook of
the Canadian Transport Emergency Center (CANUTEC), can be found
online at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/canutec/erg_gmu/erg2000_menu.htm.
Another useful link, in Spanish, is: http://www.profepa.gob.mx/saa/
audita68.htm. It shows a listing of hazardous material emergency
response centers with their Web addresses, and links to other sites of
interest.
Specialized Materials 13
Frequently, a need arises for equipment or materials so specialized that
no one can expect their arrival as part of the general donations. Instead,
disaster response agencies must acquire them on their own or rely on
international organizations that might have them available or can offer
guidance on where and how to procure them.
Organizations such as OXFAM, Médecins sans Frontières, the World
Health Organization (WHO), or the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (OFDA/
USAID), for instance, have assembled kits for water treatment, storage
and distribution, or the building of shelters. Other kits focus on cholera
prevention and treatment, lighting and power generation, pharmaceuticals,
or essential medical equipment.
These kits are generally donated or lent to relief agencies. The contents
and characteristics of existing kits are described in detail in the catalogs
of the respective organizations.
Specialized equipment is often very costly. It is therefore essential to be
certain that a real need exists for such supplies before asking for them.
It is also important to have a clear picture of what is required (the specifications),
so that donors have the information necessary to respond
effectively.
13 See also the section on “Standardization of Emergency Supplies,“ earlier in this chapter.