American journal of disaster medicine
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Although children and infants are likely to be victims in a disaster and are more vulnerable in a disaster than adults, disaster planning and management has often overlooked the specific needs of pediatric patients. The authors discuss key components of disaster planning and management for pediatric patients, including emergency medical services, hospital/facility issues, evacuation centers, family separation/reunification, children with special healthcare needs (SHCNs), mental health issues, and overcrowding/surge capacity. ⋯ The second part addresses the appropriate setup and functioning of evacuation centers and family separation and reunification. The third part deals with special patient populations: children with SHCNs and mental health issues.
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Army action against terrorism in Pakistan led to the largest human migration in this century. About 3.4 million people (internally displaced persons, IDPs) were displaced. The authors visited all major camps and some houses in Mardan area and interviewed IDPs and doctors at these camps and areas to identify medical needs and current state of provision of medical care. ⋯ The medical issues and requirements for these IDPs living in camps were totally different from a disaster like earthquake. Global response to this disaster was slow and less effective. The need for a WHO coordination center for creating quick and urgent response for such kind of disasters in future is emphasized in this article.