The 2010 Haiti earthquake affected more than 20% of the country’s population. The capital Port-au-Prince was almost destroyed while the quake also ravaged other towns and cities. The death toll from the earthquake is estimated at 230,000 with 300,000 others injured while 1.5 million were displaced or left homeless (Amadeo, 2017). Almost every part of the country’s economy was affected. Since the health sector could not handle a disaster of such magnitude, considering that many facilities were destroyed, hospitals were overwhelmed by survivors who were brought in for treatment. Most of the infrastructure was damaged, making it even more difficult to reach survivors and to access medical facilities. It was certain that a disaster of such magnitude could not be handled by the government and local organizations alone, international support was needed.
Local and National Response
An earthquake of such magnitude had unprecedented effects on the people and the government. Both the national government of Haiti and international organizations like the UN and other states have received criticism for their response to the disaster. Immediately after the first quake it the country, it was evident that initial action needed to be quick and aggressive to contain the situation and save lives. The level of disaster preparedness for the government was inadequate. Geographically, Haiti lies in an area prone to earthquakes, and this was not the first major quake to hit the country. Still, the government lacked adequate programs to handle such issues. Immediately after the earthquake, rescue teams were dispatched to look for survivors and provide medical attention. The military, police and independent units of rescuers together with medical groups and hospitals were soon overwhelmed by the situation and appealed for international support. This failure resulted in more deaths and prolonged suffering for survivors.
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News of the devastating quake spread fast, together with appeals for aid, and in less than a day charity organizations, national governments and other groups started arriving, coordinating rescues and bringing support. The response to the humanitarian crisis has been described as overwhelming (Ramachandran & Walz, 2013). Relief workers organized the transfer of people to safety zones while medics set up treatment camps. Countries also sent trained medical staff to assist in hospitals. Other organizations planned for fundraising to support the situation. However, the efforts of international agencies together with local ones were hampered by destroyed infrastructure and aftershocks which caused more deaths. Still, their efforts ensure that the survivors could have access to shelter, food, and medical attention. Despite the massive gains, the organizations later reported running out of supplies like food and medicines. Reconstruction and resettlements plans were also coordinated by international bodies, leading to an over 90% success rate in relocation (Ramachandran & Walz, 2013).
Impact of Social Attitudes
The slow flow of aid into Haiti raised some questions on the dedication of the international community to help alleviate the suffering of Haitians. Relief workers often reported running out of supplies on different occasions. Such setbacks brought to limelight the long-standing argument that blacks are given less priority in times of disaster. Comparisons were made to the response to Hurricane Katrina where black families were treated with suspicion or sometimes ignored while delivering aid. The question of attitude in times of disaster response and management is not new. Engrained beliefs often affect the response to disasters (Kirsch, Sauer, & Sapir, 2012). Opinions on the victims influence decisions to provide aids to victims of disasters. Majority of the population of Haiti being Black, racism was blamed to have played a part in the slow response. Though hard to prove, most critics argue that the slow response was as a result of the donors viewing black people as less important and lazier than their white counterparts
The United Nations too was not spared the criticism. Its lack of preparedness coupled with inefficient administration systems did not pass without being scrutinized. Compared to the response of the UN in other areas like Japan during disasters, this was interpreted as lack of dedication to the cause. Negligence led to further problems like the cholera outbreak. Displacement camps were not supplied with clean water. Though the UN was always defensive citing underfunding as the real cause of the problem, it did little help the situation. Therefore, from the handling of the situation in Haiti, it’s seen that the white supremacy attitude and racism were partly to blame for the incompetence of the international bodies. Proper healthcare in disaster areas is crucial in preventing disease outbreaks as well as for physical and emotional healing of the victims. In Haiti provision of healthcare was a challenge due to lack of infrastructure or damage to the existing ones. The problem was further compounded by underfunding of the medical teams. Attitudes towards people of black race by health care providers more also complicated the issue.
Role of International and Altruistic Organizations
Disaster management in areas affected by natural disaster involves healthcare provision. Averting suffering and deaths requires the provision of healthcare services. Disaster hit areas are also vulnerable to disease outbreaks because of congestion and strain on available resources because of placement of survivors in camps. Health care management not only helps the survivors to return to their normal state but also prevents spread of diseases to other areas. The UN is responsible for coordinating the activities of healthcare volunteers and NGOs which provide health care services in disaster areas. Healthcare providers in disaster zones are charitable and not for profit organizations like the Red Cross, UNICEF, USAID among others. The role of these bodies in healthcare management can be grouped into treatment, management, and coordination. In human resource management, health workers are distributed to areas needing attention while physical resources are brought in and distributed appropriately. Victims are also placed according to the level of medical care required. Environmental management ensures water resources are not contaminated while nutrition management deals with the dietary requirements of the survivors. These healthcare activities require the input of professionals for positive outcomes to be achieved. Since most of the bodies that provide these services, for example in places like Haiti, rely on volunteers, nursing professionals can join this body to help in offering healthcare services.
Role of Professional Nurses
Professional nurses have a crucial role to play in disaster zones. The first role of a nurse in disaster management is to mitigate against disaster emergency. Mitigation encompasses prevention of other new disasters from occurring. In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, measures were needed to prevent the cholera outbreak that was witnessed. The process of mitigation involves assessment of risk factors and threats in the community. From the group of threats, the nurse determines then actual and potential risks and dangers (Sonawane, 2015). The nurse then develops steps to prevent the disaster from happening. The plans are then activated through processes like community education or vaccination. All these measured are aimed at preventing further deaths and diseases in the community. For professional nurses to work as volunteers, they have to register with the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) (AWHONN, 2012).
Barriers to Health Care Services in Disaster Areas
Providing healthcare services in disaster zones is sometimes a challenge due to a combination of factors. Inaccessibility of the area where the victims are poses a significant challenge for health workers. In the case of Haiti, most of the road networks were destroyed in the aftermath of the earthquake. In spite of many people needing medical attention in the hit areas, health workers could not easily access them. Another barrier is a human or military blockage (Leaning & Guha-Sapir, 2013). Disaster zones sometimes have crucial information or evidence that the government may not be willing to expose to the international media. As a result, the government may go to great lengths to prevent health workers from reaching these areas. Inadequate funding may also be a hindrance to providing healthcare services. International organizations often appealed for funding after they ran out of supplies in the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake. The measures taken to overcome these barriers need to address the cause. Inaccessibility of the zones where the victims are may be solved through airlifting of the severely injured or those that are very sick. Alternatively, makeshift transport roots can be created to access these areas. A military or human blockage is a problem that may be addressed by carrying out healthcare management under the coordination of international organizations like the Red Cross or the UN. These bodies have well-structured and powerful mechanisms they apply to prevent such blockages. Underfunding is a challenge that can also be overcome through coordination with these agencies since they have the means to source for funding from donors.
Conclusion
Effects of the devastating quake in Haiti are still being witnessed in the country. Despite the overwhelming support of the international community, challenges were encountered mainly due to the level of unpreparedness of the government as well as the UN. Negative social attitudes also played a role in the setbacks faced in the response, mainly the slow inflow of aid. Since professional nurses have a crucial role to play in disaster management, a good grasp of the challenges encountered in disaster zones is an essential requirement for volunteering for the task. Evidence-based strategies for overcoming the barriers are a necessity. Increased rates of occurrence of natural disaster today imply that professional nurses will continuously be needed to mitigate against further hazards in these areas.
References
Amadeo, K. (2017). Haiti earthquake: Facts, damage, effects on economy. The Balance . Retrieved on 23 January 2018, from https://www.thebalance.com/haiti-earthquake-facts-damage-effects-on-economy-3305660.
AWHONN, (2012). The role of the nurse in emergency preparedness. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 41 , 322–324.
Kirsch, T., Sauer, L., & Sapir, D. G. (2012). Analysis of the international and US response to the Haiti earthquake: recommendations for change. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 6(3) , 200-208.
Leaning, J., & Guha-Sapir, D. (2013). Natural disasters, armed conflict, and public health. New England journal of medicine, 369(19) , 1836-1842.
McManus, J. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012). Helping natural disaster victims depends on characteristics and perceptions of victims. A response to "Who helps natural disaster victims?" Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 12(1) , 272-275.
Ramachandran, & Walz, J. (2013). Haiti's earthquake generated a $9bn response – where did the money go? | Vijaya . The Guardian. Retrieved on 23 January 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/jan/14/haiti-earthquake-where-did-money-go.
Sonawane, N. (2015). Role of a nurse in disaster management . Slideshare.net. Retrieved on 23 January 2018, from https://www.slideshare.net/Ashins/role-of-a-nurse-in-disaster-management.
