Asean disaster specialists meet in Phuket to prepare for the next big one

[webfact]

Asean disaster specialists meet in Phuket to prepare for the next big one
Phuket Gazette


Dr Anuchar Sethasathein said the meeting would help professionals in the field engage in expert discussions and share knowledge. Photo: Saran Mitrarat

PHUKET: -- Doctors and disaster medicine specialists from nine Asean countries are in Phuket to attend a workshop aimed at sharing knowledge and upgrading disaster response systems.

Participants at the “Asean Disaster Medicine Workshop”, being held from April 23 to 25, described emergency response systems and international cooperation mechanisms in their own countries.

They also took part in a simulation at Suan Luang (Rama IX, also known as King’s Park), which included an emergency vehicle rally with a prize awarded to the team able to assist victims the fastest.

The event was organized by the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) of Thailand and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Representatives of the two groups will chair a discussion tomorrow on effective medical assistance in disasters, how to prepare for a mega disaster, and what knowledge is needed before dispatching a medical team to a foreign country.

Two years ago, Phuket hosted an international conference on disaster nursing (story here) and regularly holds tsunami-simulation exercises. The most recent was in May last year (story here).

The workshop aims to increase awareness of the importance of disaster preparedness and promote partnership of disaster relief officials in different Asean countries, said Dr Anuchar Sethasathein, secretary-general of NIEM.

“It should be an excellent opportunity for professionals in the field to engage in expert discussions, share knowledge and learn from the experience of others,” Dr Anuchar said.

Noriko Suzuki, Director of JICA and Secretariat of Japan Disaster Relief (JDR), said Japan would share what it had learned from past disasters.

“As you know, Japan has had many disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions,” Ms Suzuki said.

“The point is: how we can we use the past to prepare for the future? One example in Japan’s case is carefully checking construction standards of buildings. Because we have so many earthquakes in Japan, we have a lot of experience in this, and we would like to share it with all the attenders.”

Participants came from every country in Asean except Singapore.

— Saran Mitrarat

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Asean-disaster-specialists-meet-Phuket-prepare-the/29231#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-04-24

[soalbundy]

Construction standards...........don't worry,nothing a few thousand Baht can't solve.

[xylophone]

How ironic that this meeting of "disaster specialists" should be held in Phuket.

After all, in response to the tsunami which hit Patong, warning buoys were installed off the coast, only to find that the money to install the batteries had gone missing. If I'm not mistaken, some were later installed, but these were found to be flat (not operating) on inspection a little later.

Then the cable which powered the tsunami sirens was stolen.

To top it all, one of the emergency evacuation routes led directly to Nanai Road, which in the event of the small earthquake a few years ago became immediately clogged with traffic, making it totally impassable. So much for escaping to safety!

Even more ironic is the "lip service" paid to preserve human life, when in fact it doesn't have a great deal of meaning in Thailand, and you only have to look at the amount of scooter drivers not wearing crash helmets, believing either that if they are destined to die on that day, then they will, or if they die they will come back in a better life.

Add to that the scooters driven by kids as young as 12 years old; others with four or five passengers on; the extremely poor state of trucks and public transport causing death and destruction, and of course the lack of driving skills being taught, so just about anyone can drive, and please don't get me talking about the drivers who drive the wrong way up motorways!!

[soalbundy]

More preparation wet into the dump i took this morning than they will make at this meeting..........still, it's a nice little earner i suppose.

[phuketsub]

My favorites are the traffic hazard that went on for months in front of the shiny, new DDPM (Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation] office, as well as the Supercheap inferno that was a disaster waiting to happen for years...the new 'temporary' Supercheap is a real Phoenix too!