%0 Journal Article
%T The State of Healthcare Disaster Plans in New Zealand and the Sultanate of Oman: An International Comparative Analysis
%A Sultan Al-Shaqsi
%A Robin Gauld
%A David McBride
%A Ammar Al-Kashmiri
%A Abdullah Al-Harthy
%J Advances in Emergency Medicine
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/758728
%X Aim. The aim of this study was to carry out an audit of healthcare plans in New Zealand and Oman. Methods. The study utilizes a deductive content analysis method. Written plans from New Zealand District Health Boards (DHBs) and the Omani secondary and tertiary hospitals were analyzed. A checklist was used to score the plans against twelve elements which are command and control, hazard analysis, surge capability, communication, standard operating procedures (SOPs), life-line backups, public and media, training, welfare, coordination, and recovery. Results. There were 14 plans from New Zealand and 7 plans from Oman analysed. The overall coverage of New Zealand plans was 67.5% compared to 53.3% in Oman. Plans from both countries scored similarly in ¡°command and control,¡± ¡°hazard analysis,¡± ¡°surge,¡± and ¡°communication¡± elements. Omani plans scored lower than those of New Zealand in ¡°media and the publicv¡± ¡°training,¡± ¡°coordination,¡± and ¡°recovery.¡± Both countries scored very low in addressing the welfare of responders. Conclusion. This study highlighted the value of health emergency plans in New Zealand as reflected by the high score of DHBs¡¯ coordination. Therefore, a similar approach in Oman will enhance emergency preparedness. Responders¡¯ welfare is an issue that needs to be addressed by emergency preparedness plans in both countries. 1. Introduction Disasters are unique situations that require advanced planning in order to anticipate their effects and develop countermeasures to mitigate hazards, reduce risks, respond to emergencies, and recover from such events [1]. Disasters are situations of chaos and the quicker the situation is brought under control the better the outcome will be [2]. In contrast, failure to institute control due to weak planning leads to protracted chaos and worse outcomes [3]. Effective planning reduces guesswork during a disaster response. The success and failure of a disaster response are determined by the level of planning of the affected community. Disaster planning is a systematic process that has four main components: identifying hazards, mitigating risks, preparing and responding to emergencies, and, finally, recovery and development [3]. All components of the planning process have to be documented and recorded for evaluation and future reference. Documentation of the disaster planning process leads to the formulation of disaster plans. Moore defined disaster plans as follows: ¡°A formal document that (1) assigns roles and responsibilities to individuals and organizations for carrying specific tasks during an emergency; (2)
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aem/2014/758728/