Response Plan for Ebola Outbreak in Delhi, India: Disaster Management

This report presents a comprehensive disaster management plan designed for an Ebola outbreak scenario in Delhi, India, following the hypothetical case of an infected individual attending an Independence Day celebration. The plan meticulously outlines critical aspects of the response, beginning wi...Read More

Running Head: DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Disaster Management Plan
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Executive Summary
The disaster management can be described as the management and the organisation of the of
responsibilities as well as resources to deal with every humanitarian aspects of the
emergencies particularly the preparedness, recovery and most importantly response in regards
to reducing the impact of the disaster. It involves four phases mitigation, preparedness,
response and finally recovery. There can be several types of disaster like geophysical,
hydrological, climatological, meteorological and biological. This article discusses about the
biological disaster scenario and ensures effective preventive measures for prevention and
eradication of the same.
Table of Content

2DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
s
Introduction...........................................................................................................................3
Discussion.............................................................................................................................3
Critical analysis of the disaster event................................................................................3
Relevant stakeholders and logistics in response to the infectious outbreak and their
management...........................................................................................................................4
Other factors that may impact the disaster response plan.................................................6
Plan for the management of the psychological stressors of a disaster..............................6
Strategies to evaluate the efficacy of the disaster management plan................................7
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................7
Reference...............................................................................................................................8

3DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Introduction
Disaster management aims at reducing or avoiding the potential losses from the hazards
detected and assure prompt and relevant assistance for the victims of the disaster. This
process aids in achieving effective and fast recovery. This management plan exploits various
stakeholders like the government bodies, the media, NGOs and different businesses to aim
and reduce the negative impact of the disasters (Kirschenbaum, 2019). The appropriate and
prompt actions at levels ensure greater preparedness, promotes better alertness and reduces
the vulnerability or the prevention of disaster. These involves proper shaping of the public
policies and the plans. This article deals with the preparedness and relevant management
plans for the incidence of Ebola virus disease based on the case scenario provided
Discussion
Critical analysis of the disaster event
This article is based on the case study provided that describes the gathering of
approximately 5000 people due to the celebration of Independence Day in Delhi. An
individual of the West African descent was presented to a hospital in Delhi due to his
compromised wellness and it is confirmed that he has acquired Ebola virus disease (EVD)
and unfortunately he was a part of the gathering in the Independence Day celebration.
Ebola virus disease is a highly contagious disease that is caused by the Ebola virus, the
transmission is by close and direct physical contact with the infected body fluids. The
transmission majorly occurs through blood, faeces and vomit. Though it is also detected in
the urine and semen as well (Othman & Beydoun, 2013). A proper management plan should
be framed to prevent the spread of the disease and also promote vaccination in the local
communities. Educating the people regarding the symptoms and signs. The people who were
in direct contact with the individual should be monitored closely for approximately21 days

4DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
and if any observable symptoms are noticed then proper treatment measures should be taken
(Gostin, Lucey & Phelan, 2014).
The counter measure to be taken includes an effective medical as well as health plan in the
vulnerable area. These medical and health team should essentially cover the requirements and
capabilities to act promptly based on the early signs visible. This should also involve close
monitoring of the health aspects of the population concerned. Educating the public as well as
spreading the awareness regarding the Ebola virus disease and the prevention measures.
There should be reinforcements of medical resources as well as clinical supplies based on the
anticipation of the epidemic outbreak (Adivar & Selin, 2013).
Relevant stakeholders and logistics in response to the infectious outbreak and
their management
On the basis of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UN/ISDR) there are several key parties that play a crucial role in the process of the disaster
management. The stakeholders included are the local and the national government bodies,
NGOs, communities, corporations, scientific communities and media.
Communities
Communities are the most vital stakeholders in the disaster management. They are
considered to play a crucial role in people-centred early warning systems. The input provided
by them into the system and ability of them to respond determines the extent of the risk that is
associated with the disaster (Syahrir & Vanany, 2015). This vulnerable community should be
aware of the Ebola virus disease in details regarding the signs symptoms, preventive and
precautionary measures that can be implemented. They should be educated to respond to the
early warning signs of the disease. This action would minimize the extent of the risks of the
transmission of the disease.

5DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Local government
The local government should have a sound knowledge of the disease in relation to their
exposure to the respective communities. They should take active participation in the
maintenance of the early warning signs of the disease. They should effectively engage local
population to promote their safety and also aim at reducing the potential loss of the resources
on which the community is dependant (Ainuddin et al., 2013).
National governments
The national government should design the policies as well as the frameworks that would
facilitate the early warnings of the disease. They should ensure that related responses are
provided to the vulnerable population by effectively designing the holistic response to the
disaster. The national government should also support the local communities and the local
government for an effective disaster management (Sylves, 2019).
NGOs (Non-governmental organizations)
The non-governmental organisations play a vital role in spreading the awareness among
the organisations and the individuals that are involved in the implementation of the responses
to the early warnings signs especially at the community level. They also play an advocacy
role to aid ensuring that the agenda of the makers of the government policy is focussed on the
early warnings (Mojtahedi & Oo, 2017).
Scientific communities
This community plays a vital role as well ensuring providence of the specialized scientific
as well as the technical input to help the government bodies and the communities to develop
the early warning systems (Madu & Kuei, 2014). They should effectively and critically
analyse the risks that the communities are at risk due to the Ebola virus.

6DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Media
The media exerts an important role in the spread of the awareness programme. It improves
the disaster consciousness and also disseminates the early warnings. It acts a link between the
agency that provides the warning and general public (Mojtahedi & Oo, 2017).
Other factors that may impact the disaster response plan
The factors that might impact the disaster management includes the lack of medical and
health resources that may include medical supplies and adequate clinics in the concerned
area. This can act as a barrier to the response capability. The shortage of special equipments
like the water purifying plants. The integration of the medical and the health assistance
internationally with the local systems can be a challenge in the management program.
Plan for the management of the psychological stressors of a disaster
Stress plays a critical role in the management of disaster. The common reactions may
include disbelief and shock followed by disorientation, fear and anxiety. The population can
suffer apathy as well as emotional numbing. They might get depressed and feel powerless as
well. If this stress is not handled properly it can lead to negative impacts on the physical and
the mental health of the population.
The population should be educated to talk about the disaster. Spend time with family and
friends to keep them distracted. They should be educated to maintain their hygiene and take
care of themselves. The repeated visualization of the images of the disaster and reading about
the same news should be avoided. They should keep themselves engaged in the activities they
love. The individual can even ask for help if required. There should be a disaster distress
helpline that would aid in immediate counselling on the grounds of the disaster crisis. This
helpline should be working at all hours of the day (Veenema et al., 2016).

7DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Strategies to evaluate the efficacy of the disaster management plan
The evaluation team should conduct induction workshops that is exploits the refinement of
methodology, study protocol and the instruments for data collection. Ethical approval for the
evaluation should be considered and obtained accordingly from the respective dignitaries. To
obtain a comprehensive idea of the effectiveness and impact of the management program
minimum set of data collection should be initiated that includes online questionnaires,
qualitative data collection that may be in the form of in-person interviews, secondary data
analysis as well as the document review (Alamdar, Kalantari & Rajabifard, 2015).
Engagement consultation of the stakeholders aids in elevating the effectiveness of
evaluation through their inputs. Activities like conducting workshops and only the
engagement of the relevant stakeholders should be encouraged to avoid the excessive
identification of the stakeholders. The evaluation should be centralised at national office in
terms of the development of the processes and the procedures. The evaluation should be
aligned with the Evaluation Policy Framework. All the evaluation activity that is conducted
should be documented in the form of a report individually (Alim, Kawabata & Nakazawa,
2015).
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded from this report that an efficient management plan aids in rapid
recovery and eradication. Effective management aids in reducing the vulnerabilities and the
impacts of the disaster as well that in turns hampers the lives as well as the livelihood of the
community. The management should be retrofitting in order to ensure sustainable
development of the population affected by the disaster.

8DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Reference
Adivar, B., & Selin Selen, E. (2013). Review of research studies on population specific
epidemic disasters. Disaster Prevention and Management: An International
Journal, 22(3), 243-264.
Ainuddin, S., Aldrich, D. P., Routray, J. K., Ainuddin, S., & Achkazai, A. (2013). The
need for local involvement: Decentralization of disaster management institutions in
Baluchistan, Pakistan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 6, 50-58.
Alamdar, F., Kalantari, M., & Rajabifard, A. (2015). An evaluation of integrating
multisourced sensors for disaster management. International Journal of Digital
Earth, 8(9), 727-749.
Alim, S., Kawabata, M., & Nakazawa, M. (2015). Evaluation of disaster preparedness
training and disaster drill for nursing students. Nurse education today, 35(1), 25-31.
Gostin, L. O., Lucey, D., & Phelan, A. (2014). The Ebola epidemic: a global health
emergency. Jama, 312(11), 1095-1096.
Kirschenbaum, A. (2019). Chaos organization and disaster management. Routledge.
Mojtahedi, M., & Oo, B. L. (2017). Critical attributes for proactive engagement of
stakeholders in disaster risk management. International Journal of Disaster Risk
Reduction, 21, 35-43.
N. Madu, C., & Kuei, C. H. (2014). Disaster relief supply chain quality management
(DRSCQM). International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 31(9), 1052-
1067.
Othman, S. H., & Beydoun, G. (2013). Model-driven disaster management. Information &
Management, 50(5), 218-228.

9DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
Syahrir, I., & Vanany, I. (2015). Healthcare and disaster supply chain: literature review
and future research. Procedia Manufacturing, 4, 2-9.
Sylves, R. T. (2019). Disaster policy and politics: Emergency management and homeland
security. CQ Press.
Veenema, T. G., Griffin, A., Gable, A. R., MacIntyre, L., Simons, R. N., Couig, M. P., ...
& Larson, E. (2016). Nurses as leaders in disaster preparedness and response—a call to
action. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(2), 187-200.