Mangaluru Institutions Partner ’India’s Disaster Health’ plans in capital

Mangaluru Institutions Partner ’India’s Disaster Health’ plans in capital

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 23, 2016 : A media note received indicates,  Center for Health and Development (CHD-India) and International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR, New Delhi) in collaboration with Alliance for Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (AADRR) and Yenepoya University, Mangaluru as Knowledge Partner and  Mangaluru based, Corporation Bank as Banking Partner have joined hands to lift ’Disaster Health’ into the mainstream. The stakeholder meeting was held at IIHMR, New Delhi  on march 21, Monday.

 

 

 

The stakeholder meeting aimed for success, representatives from UNICEF, Government of India and Civil Society organizations like Help Age India, SEEDS India, Action Aid and other related networks came together to put in place the global frameworks of the Sendai Report, Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals laid down by the United Nations. Dr. Edmond Fernandes, CEO, of Mangaluru based, Center for Health and Development (CHD-India) said in his address, “Indian families are living in a healthcare system that costs more, delivers less and during disasters, they bankrupt families leading to disproportionate socio-economic loss which often leads to psycho-social trauma. We will have to engage in tough diplomacy and shrewed advocacy to make decisions that will set the course for the next decade at least.  

New Delhi hasn’t delivered a mechanism that protects families and safeguards communities with regard to ensuring their health needs during disasters and also otherwise. With pro-poor spending on GDP on public health, we need to re-discover ourselves as stakeholders in this arena. Every single district, state and central response machinery should prepare a public health disaster plan, which covers essential medical services, curative, preventive, maternity and mental health needs comprehensively. Disaster Health literacy should be stepped up."


Harjeet Singh, Chair, AADRR, New Delhi said, “Focus must be given on Section V of the Sendai Framework and climate change adaptation should be widely taught. Scenario based action plan has been missing and that needs to be created.


Dr. Manu Gupta, Chair, Asian Disaster Risk Reduction Network highlighted that village level resilience plan needs to be created and primary health care centers can be the starting point for the same. He mentioned that there is lack of dedicated research on disaster engineering.  He stressed upon the need to create resilient communities.”


The concerned organizations deliberating the issues, commonly agreed that present medical education has not focused on disaster risk reduction and disaster health at all. There is paucity of data in public health disaster research and quality of life is compromised due to lack of mainstreaming disaster health. The deliberations also concluded that there is severe lack of ownership during any natural and man-made disaster and the blame is passed on to others. The in-depth proceedings of the stakeholder meeting will be prepared and released shortly,  Dr. A K Khokhar, Director, IIHMR, Dr Agarwal, Dean, IIHMR were present.