Malta disaster contingency plans 'under constant review'
Contingency plans for a national disaster such as an earthquake, but also emergencies such as pandemic flu are being constantly reviewed and improved, Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said today.
Speaking in the context of last Monday's earthquake in Italy, Mr Galea said that contingency plans for different scenarios had been prepared by the Civil Protection Department in association with the medical authorities and the other services and both the hospitals and the services had a readily available stock of blankets and medicinals prepared in containers and rucksacks for use where needed.
The CPD had also trained volunteers to help in major disasters.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Joseph Cassar, said that Mater Dei Hospital was built to resist earthquakes, and recovery rooms could be quickly converted to intensive therapy units.
Protocols on work practices had also been drawn up and should a major emergency occur, medical staff would focus on that emergency and put off non-urgent medical cases.
Dr Cassar said the medical authorities had also geared up for a possible flu pandemic and more stocks of vaccines would be purchased as the existing ones expired.
He said that although originally Karin Grech Hospital had been earmarked for use as a pandemic flu hospital, those plans have now been revised and a section of Mater Dei would be used against.
The comments were given at a press conference to mark World Health Day. The theme of World Health Day is safe emergency departments.
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K. Vella
Apr 8th 2009, 13:39
Although I have no training whatsoever in the subject, this scenario tickles my fancy. Two questions:
1. I assume they have stipulated meeting points in case of a national disaster. Trying to contact volunteers by mobile phone after a major disaster would be next to impossible since the system will almost certainly be down.
2. I don't think our roads would be able to withstand a strong earthquake. How will volunteers from all across the island reach the meeting points?
A.Farrugia
Apr 8th 2009, 08:38
M.Gauci
CPD are trained professionals so I am sure they have perfectly adequate contingency plans. It is good to ask certain questions, however I am sure they would have done their contingency plans with foerign organisations that know their job well under pressure of disasters. I would think that the first thing the Maltese authorities would do in such cases is to accept assistance from foreign rescue workers.
I.Abela
I have to agree with MGauci, I think you would need trained professionals to sift through the damaged buildings, as one wrong move of any debris, and the remaining structure would crumble. However, I think you are taking questions put here by MGauci and C.Delia a bit on the wrong foot by responding in a not so nice manner, as trained rescue person you should be reassuring people not blowing out at them :)
CPD
Well done for keeping the contingency plans under constant review!
M Aquilina
Apr 8th 2009, 00:16
@ I Abela
Apart from red cross, St john ambulance and St John rescue corps, we also have volunteers from the Emergency Fire & Rescue Unit, which is a philatropoc organistaion which trains it's volunteers for such cases together with CPD members and volunteers. www.efru.net
M.Gauci
Apr 7th 2009, 22:19
All that training gone to waste, as a simple basic fact, that not anyone can just go play rambo style through debris putting his/her life and those around him and those being saved life at risk eludes you.
Yes I will do as you ask, send a letter to the minister. heh. Good night my lad.
I Abela
Apr 7th 2009, 21:32
@ M Gauci -Didn't my comments answer your question ??? Yes we have agreements with other countries. You can send an email to the Minister concerned if you want factual proof.
Also be informed that at 7 years old you are not a scout, but if I were under a pile of debris I wouldn't care how old is the person who finds me. It could be a puppy for all I care.
It also turns out that I am quite handy when it comes to SAR. I do know a cahoot or two about SAR, I am skilled in underwater SAR, cliffside SAR, FireFighting and the use of BSA equipment, handling of Fire Arms, and First Aid, yes and also a Scout.
Now please do some research, or cut a long story short and send an email to the Ministry for Home Affairs or directly to the Civil Protection Department.
M.Gauci
Apr 7th 2009, 19:30
I.Abela
Yeah right -lets see my 7 year old scout son looking for you under the debris!! you need specialised people rummaging through the debris. Things could give way depending how you handle the torn building. Scouts in Malta, of a certain age and with special skills are quite limited, if any at all. This is not WW2, health and safety dictates otherwise in the 2009.
If you don't know a cahoot about SAR, I would suggest you take a first aid course as a basis to build on more specialised tasks thereafter.
My questions remain, to the informed of course not the wannabee chopper squad.
I Abela
Apr 7th 2009, 19:11
@ M Gauci - I truly understand what you are thinking but the way you put your thoughts to writing doesn't make sense. Ridiculing Scout Groups is not a very nice thing. Always remember that Scouts were actively running errands and helping out the British Forces during the 2nd World War, when you probably weren't even born yet and your older relatives were hiding in an underground shelter. Also the combined stock of ridge tents and marquees that scout groups posses is enough to house a quarter of the population. And as regards to family, you are right, I for one would first go look for my family then come and look for you.
Then again, your comment doesn't make much sense because we do have crisis contingency plans, we do have trained rescue people, and we also do have agreements with other countries. So, what was your question again ??
M.Gauci
Apr 7th 2009, 18:00
@I Abela
It's called Risk assessment & management.
Picture this, Malta being very small, an earthquake of a large magnitutde would flatten most of Malta. Our buildings are heavy and not designed for earthquakes. If a lot of "rescue" people are in need of rescue themselves we are in jeopardy. Furthmore, apart from the official authorites, some of the other organisations (yeah right scouts!) will probably first be looking at their belongings and looking for their families (immediate and greater).
The intiial hours are curcial to find people alive - and Malta would need foreign help (immediately) to help scour all the areas in such a short period of time. As regards airport and what not, its not the issue, there are boats that could arrive from Italy or Libya is a very short time (2hrs approx).
I shall close in the same way I started, it's called Risk assessment and management.
I Abela
Apr 7th 2009, 17:37
@ M. Gauci - What kind of argument are you trying to put forward? Do we have enough personnel? Picture this...AFM, CPD, Police, St. John's Ambulance, St. John's Rescue Corps, Malta Red Cross, Scout Groups from all over the island. Practically we would have half the population looking for the other half. We also do have agreements with other countries, but even if we didn't, we would still have trouble landing all the emergency planes from all over europe and mediterranean.
@ Carmen Delia - I would suggest posting comments about land speculation on other related articles. I assure you we have enough open space to built 3 other Maltas (In case of a disaster). CPD headquarter have a lot of open space, The Hal Far Race Track is huge, Ta' Qali and Armier also have plenty of space, there is a full sized football pitch in almost every locality, a many scout groups have their own designated camping sites. How much more space do you need?
M Aquilina
Apr 7th 2009, 17:33
@ M Gauci
Civil Protection apart of having it's own volunteers, there are other private entites that together with Civil Protection Department train on such cases.....
godfrey ellul
Apr 7th 2009, 16:54
At the OPM registry, if I'm not mistaken there was a thick old file on the subject, entitled "National Disaster Plan", dating way back to the colonial days under the British....
carmendelia
Apr 7th 2009, 15:59
baqa open spaces fejn jintramaw it tents ? dik il problema
ALLA HARES ghax kieku nsiebu ruhna f bahar ta gebel kullimkien
Joe Camilleri
Apr 7th 2009, 15:33
Well, at least the tents are already built at Hal Far
M.Gauci
Apr 7th 2009, 14:51
This is good. However what if the trained volunteers are themselves entraped under debris or deceased. Do we have enough contingency plans to have personnel to find quasi-living people trapped under debris? Malta being small it is very easy to have most of it flat. The initial hours are curcial to pull out people from under stricken buildings. Do we have agreements with other countries to immediately send rescue people ?