Floods are among the most devastating natural disasters, causing widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of life. But their impact extends beyond homes and businesses; healthcare facilities in flood-prone areas often experience severe after-effects, compromising their ability to provide critical services when communities need them most.
What Is a Flood-Prone Area?
Flood-prone areas are regions or locations that are at a higher risk of flooding due to natural factors, such as local waterways, inadequate rainfall absorption, or low-lying terrain. While the threat of flooding is always present, climate change has exacerbated the frequency and intensity of such events in these areas.
Healthcare facilities rely on a stable, accessible environment, but flooding can present a unique set of challenges for everyone. During these disasters, healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, can be compromised.
Infrastructure Damage
Flooding affects healthcare facilities in varied and complex ways, disrupting their ability to save lives and care for the injured. Floodwater can damage structures surrounding healthcare facilities and compromise access to electrical and plumbing systems, rendering entire facilities unusable.
Utility poles that carry electricity can leave facilities without power during floods. Floods can also leave behind acidic soil that can slowly damage utility lines until they fail. Communities can take steps to prevent utility pole corrosion from the soil and hopefully avoid unnecessary power outages after floods.
Impact on Staff
Floods don’t just affect facilities; they also impact the people who keep them running. Healthcare workers may be left unable to reach their workplaces due to submerged roads or damaged transportation infrastructure. Others may choose to focus on safeguarding their families in flood zones, reducing available manpower at the healthcare facility.
Staff shortages can overwhelm healthcare teams and lead to a lower quality of care for people who need help. The increased mental and physical strain on medical workers can often take a toll after working long hours during emergencies.
Medical Supply Chain Disruptions
Floods can paralyze the supply chains that healthcare facilities rely on to provide life-saving tools and medicines. Flooded roads and blocked highways can delay the transportation of essential goods, such as surgical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and oxygen tanks.
Logistical challenges can also lead to supply disruptions, causing individuals to receive improper care with inadequate equipment. Once the items arrive, they may also be damaged or destroyed due to water exposure.
Pre-staging for critical supplies can mitigate shortages that can occur during a natural disaster. Healthcare facilities can also establish alternative supply chain routes to ensure continued access during emergencies.
Steps Toward Resilient Healthcare Systems
Flood-prone areas pose significant risks to healthcare facilities and can impact the care people receive, but proactive measures can minimize disruptions. Resilient infrastructure, robust emergency plans, and a reliable supply chain are nonnegotiable for facilities operating in these environments.
