What Should an African Health Workforce Know About Disasters? Proposed Competencies for Strengthening Public Health Disaster Risk Management Education in the African Region

Abstract

to the experience were used as sources of data from August to November 2014. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: After the disaster was communicated to hospital management, medical and nursing teams were recruited. A list of willing health professionals wasn't available, making the access to and organization of human health resources dependent on professionals' willingness to attend. The proportion of the disaster caused a national outcry. This community concern was reflected in the positive response of health professionals who volunteered to come to work. They were however challenged with severe conditions, which demanded a very high level of response and care during the admission of patients. This very intense situation and workload impacted negatively on a number of health professionals who had volunteered to respond. Conclusion: Although health professionals and hospital management staff were able to mobilize and adapt to this sudden external demand, the identified impacts on health professionals indicated the need for better preparation. As a legacy, a structured plan for the hospital was developed using internationally recommended procedures to disaster preparation and response.