<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The history of mankind is pervaded by many events that have had an incredible influence on the further development of civilization. Unfortunately, many historical milestones have also been marked by unimaginable disasters that have sometimes threatened the very existence of the human race. One of the most important links in the chain of readiness in emergencies and disasters is the national health system with all its institutions at the primary and secondary levels of healthcare. Their capacities and capabilities for adequate response can be significantly enhanced by the development and implementation of appropriate Emergency Response Plans (ERPs). The necessity of ERPs is considered for several important elements: to protect lives, property and the environment; to mitigate the consequences caused by emergencies and disasters and ensure the con-tinuity of general health services; to create a system and network to respond to and recover from the consequences of emergencies and disasters; to use of available resources optimally; and to provide additional resources if needed and improve the cooperation between sectors and agencies. The overall quality of a healthcare system is also measured by its readiness to respond to mass casualty events, emergencies and disasters. The lack of an ERP, a poor ERP, or a nonunderstandable or inaccessible plans leads to partial preparedness that can cause unimaginable consequences to overall health and loss of life of the population.</p>
</abstract>

The history of mankind is pervaded by many events that have had an incredible influence on the further development of civilization. Unfortunately, many historical milestones have also been marked by unimaginable disasters that have sometimes threatened the very existence of the human race. One of the most important links in the chain of readiness in emergencies and disasters is the national health system with all its institutions at the primary and secondary levels of healthcare. Their capacities and capabilities for adequate response can be significantly enhanced by the development and implementation of appropriate Emergency Response Plans (ERPs). The necessity of ERPs is considered for several important elements: to protect lives, property and the environment; to mitigate the consequences caused by emergencies and disasters and ensure the con-tinuity of general health services; to create a system and network to respond to and recover from the consequences of emergencies and disasters; to use of available resources optimally; and to provide additional resources if needed and improve the cooperation between sectors and agencies. The overall quality of a healthcare system is also measured by its readiness to respond to mass casualty events, emergencies and disasters. The lack of an ERP, a poor ERP, or a nonunderstandable or inaccessible plans leads to partial preparedness that can cause unimaginable consequences to overall health and loss of life of the population.

The Role of Health Systems in Emergency Response Planning

Experimental and Applied Biomedical Research (EABR)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"The Role of Health Systems in Emergency Response Planning"}

The history of mankind is pervaded by many events that have had an incredible influence on the further development of civilization. Unfortunately, many...

The Role of Health Systems in Emergency Response Planning

Published Online: Apr 05, 2023

Page range: 3 - 6

Received: Feb 05, 2018

Accepted: Apr 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2018-0011

Keywords
Emergency, disaster, planning, role, health system

© 2023 Vladimir Dobricanin et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Role of Health Systems in Emergency Response Planning

Published Online: Apr 05, 2023

Page range: 3 - 6

Received: Feb 05, 2018

Accepted: Apr 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjecr-2018-0011

KeywordsEmergency, disaster, planning, role, health system

© 2023 Vladimir Dobricanin et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Emergency, disaster, planning, role, health system