Protectors or Perpetrators

To The Editor: World Health Day is celebrated globally every year on 7 April, to mark the Anniversary of the 1948 founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). The aim of celebrating this day every year is to raise awareness on a key global health issue. The theme of World Health Day 2009 is – "Save lives. Make hospitals safe in emergencies", which focuses on the importance of investing in health infrastructure and that is able to withstand natural hazards, conflicts or a deteriorating situation and that is able to serve and protect people in immediate need [1]. Events around the world will highlight successes, campaign for safe facility design and construction, and build momentum for widespread emergency preparedness. Health facilities, large or small, urban or rural are critical lifelines to the community in case of emergencies and the safety of these centers become crucial in the successful management of any disaster [1]. They can be affected by natural calamities such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wild fires, avalanches, drought, and rock falls. Man-made events such as fires, gas leaks, explosions and terrorist attacks can also destroy them [2]. In spite of the great advancement in science and technology, natural calamities are ill-fated incidents, on whose occurrence man has little control. The intensity and timing of these disasters can expose the vulnerability of the emergency services even in the most advanced nations. Hurricane Katrina which hit the southern coast of the United States on August 8th, 2005, claimed more than 1,800 lives, and caused damages to the extent of 81 billion dollars [3]. The out-of-control bushfires that swept through Victoria, Australia in February, 2009, killed more than 200, left thousands homeless, destroyed entire communities and transformed forests into ash. While the fury of Hurricane Katrina caught the emergency services in New Orleans and Florida on the wrong foot, the deadly combination of scorching temperatures, low humidity and strong winds saw firefighters in Victoria waging a losing battle to control the blazing flames [4].The Global Warming and greenhouse effect also contribute to the increase in incidence of more frequent and stronger hurricanes and intensity of drought and heat waves, besides the spread of disease such as malaria [5,6]. Recent studies report that the climate changes due to global warming may be irreversible [7]. Hospital and other health services are the front-line defense and immediate solace to the populace in …