The Importance of Disaster Preparation
After the disastrous earthquake that ravaged Nepal in April 2015, the relief effort is still ongoing with much needed in terms of medical support, infrastructure and reconstruction.
Following the devastating news of the large earthquakes that struck Nepal, International medical supplies company SP Services were contacted by a number of charities and NGO’s for medical supplies to be sent out to aid with relief efforts in the region. SP were also able to help with a number of supplies to charities for remote medical aid workers, paramedics, doctors and nurses flying out to help with search and rescue efforts, medical treatment, first aid, triage and pre-hospital care in the affected areas.
Local Shropshire nurse Gill Bradbury flew out to Nepal from Birmingham International Airport just a day after the news of the first earthquake to provide medical aid and treatment assistance within the affected areas such as Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
In addition, Shropshire paramedic Ed Hullah opted to utilise his accrued holiday days by flying out to Nepal and aid with medical relief delivery efforts for the many people injured following the destruction. Ed finished a 12 hour shift then went straight to SP Services HQ at Bastion House to stock up on medical supplies and a press interview before flying out the following day.
SP also made a donation to Disaster Medics who flew out just 3 days after the first earthquake struck near Kathmandu with a team of remote medics to help locate missing people and deliver first aid & pre-hospital treatment to those who have not yet reached hospitals or temporary medical centres.
A month on from the initial quake in Nepal and the relief effort is ongoing. Villages need to be relocated whilst shelter and livelihoods are needed for at least three million people in the danger zone. Relief supplies promised from around the globe have not reached the remote valleys and with 25,000 schools destroyed, 1.7 million children are affected. Health posts and hospitals struggle to cope with the vast amounts of wounded men, women and children and the task of reconstruction is beyond comprehension; 600,000 homes were destroyed.
For those displaced or afraid to return to their homes in the vast tent cities across Kathmandu, the Folkestone Ghurkha and Nepalese Earthquake Appeal Team have been working hard to rally donations of food, clothing and medical supplies. SP Services teamed up with Folkestone Ghurkha and Nepalese Earthquake Appeal Team to get pallets of donated SP medical supplies sent out to Nepal to help with their relief and restoration efforts.
Teams of volunteer staff work tirelessly around the clock to help with not just the immediate issues following the disaster such as medical attention, food and clothing, but also to help rebuild environments for thousands of displaced people that have lost their loved ones, livelihoods and homes.
The devastating effects of a major incident or natural disaster have been thrust to the forefront of many individuals and organisations minds in recent times, most recently with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, rioting and terror threats across the globe and the recent earthquakes in Nepal. It is these incidents that are making more individuals and companies start thinking about having disaster contingency plans in place so as to better deal with the short, mid and long term effects of a major incident. Organisations such as SP Services are an important element for this disaster preparation, with the company supplying a large amount of emergency medical equipment and consumables which are often vital in the such crises and play a crucial role in relief efforts alongside governments and charities.
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