National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) March 2010 - NDMA

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iv. First Aid Equipment. All basic first aid equipment which is
required to give appropriate treatment to victims to be able to
reach medical facility.
(2) Mountain Search and Rescue. It relates to search and rescue operations
especially in the rugged terrain such as mountains e.g. Gilgit-Baltistan, AJ&K,
Balochistan and NWFP. In Pakistan, a few organizations, including Pakistan
Army possesses expertise and experience in this field.
(3) High Altitude Search and Rescue. This involves searching for and rescuing
people affected by avalanches or people trapped in snow.
(4) Air Search and Rescue. Air rescue is used to search for and locate
persons lost in the sea and mountainous areas. In earthquake 2005, Pakistan
Army used helicopters to rescue the seriously injured persons and transport
them to the main hospitals in Islamabad/Rawalpindi for the treatment. The Army
and Navy have the expertise and experience in air search and rescue.
(5) Waterborne Search and Rescue. Waterborne Search and Rescue
operations are conducting to rescue people affected by floods, cyclone,
dam/levee failure, and other disasters.
6. Medical Services. Health care is very important for survival in the early stages of disaster
because disasters have significant impact on health and well being of the affected population. The
health impact on population varies according to the context and type of the hazard. The health impact
may include injury, psychological trauma, general health problems e.g., fever, flu, cough, skin
diseases, eyes infection, diarrhoea, cholera, and other possible infectious diseases. The main
purpose of providing health services in disaster situations is to prevent and reduce morbidity and
mortality and to control and prevent from infectious diseases during and after the disaster situation.
Ministry of Health is responsible for provision and coordinating health services pertaining to all natural
and human induced hazards described in Chapter II of the plan. Immediately after any disaster,
government health department provides health services. Specialized support is rendered by Armed
Forces, Pakistan Medical Association, Humanitarian Organizations and Health Associations. In major
disasters including floods, Pakistan Army provides health facilities and supports health departments in
casualties‟ management. They set up mobile and static clinics from small to large scale to provide
health services to the affected population. It is important that the mobile and static health clinics are
accessible to the affected population and health services are provided to all affectees.
a. Health Policy for Patients Discharge. A sound health policy needs to be in place
to ensure that patient gets proper care and treatment that they need in disaster time:
The policy may include the following points:-
(1) All hospitals maintaining complete records of all patients treated.