Introduction to the Disaster Preparedness Committee

(History, Philosophy, and Directions)

History

The Disaster Preparedness Committee of Manila Doctors Hospital was reactivated and strengthened in February, 2005. Such a committee has been in existence since the hospital started operations in 1956. The perennial problems have been inactivity, dormancy, and sustainability. Hopefully, with a renewed management commitment and innovations, the Committee will be sustained.

Philosophy and Directions

Conscious of the responsibility to have a preparedness to meet the needs of the patients and the community in disaster situations, Manila Doctors Hospital is committed to the development of a disaster preparedness program. It endeavors to implement it in a concerted effort of all concerned and in cooperation with all emergency organizations.

The MDH Disaster Preparedness Program is part of the hospital’s corporate social responsibility program.

Committee on Fire Safety and Disaster Preparedness Committee

The Disaster Preparedness Committee is envisioned to have several subcommittees to specialize in the management of different kinds of disasters. However, with the imposition of the Department of Health in 2005 to have a distinct Committee on Fire Safety, such a committee was created in February, 2005, but still to be under the hospital’s Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Committee on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Disaster Preparedness Committee

The Committee on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Manila Doctors Hospital was established in February, 2005, under the Disaster Preparedness Committee. Prior to this, cardiopulmonary resuscitation activities in the hospital were in existence in the forms of responses to code paging, such as Code Blue, Code 123, and Code Baby Blue. There were no data on the frequency and quality of the outcome of these activities. Hopefully, with the establishment of the Committee on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, there will be a more structured program and there will be documentation and continual improvement of the outcome of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation activities in the hospital.

The Committee on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is one of the committees under the Disaster Preparedness Committee of Manila Doctors Hospital. As such, it will follow the philosophy, mission, objectives, and framework of the hospital disaster preparedness program.

MDH Task Force Avian Flu and Pandemic Influenza

The MDH Task Force Avian Flu and Pandemic Influenza was established on December 2, 2005. The Disaster Preparedness Committee and the Infection Control Committee will collaborate with each other in this task force.

Credo of the Disaster Preparedness Committee:

We envision client’s perception to be as follows:

“MDH is a safe hospital because of its excellent disaster preparedness program. The salvage rate of patients suffering from sudden cardiopulmonary arrest is high. Patients are well taken care of even if there is a sudden influx of patients in the emergency room. MDH is a good hospital to go to.”