Practical Session: Medical Logistic for Disaster

In the practical session, I learned about how the medical logistic for disaster has been done. Firstly, we select a list of basic and critical medical supplies to be provided to the disaster victims. The selection criteria such as health care needs, the characteristic of the patients who require treatment, the availability of supplies and the capacity of health system are taken into account.

Then, the drugs and other medical supplies are procured to ensure that the quantities are enough to meet the victim’s demand. A few methods or formula can be used to estimate the needs of supplies. Below is one example of the formula:

Besides that, the storage conditions affect the quality and effectiveness of health supplies. Thus it is essential to create the necessary physical, hygienic and infrastructural conditions. We have to keep track of the stock level and monitor the expired dates of stored drugs to maintain an optimal use of the available resources.

Last but not least, we have to distribute the drugs and medical supplies properly based on the demand and existing stock. So, the various organizations that receive supplies and donation must coordinate well, especially with the government agencies to ensure the efficacy and efficiency of medical supplies delivery.

Refernces:

1. Logistic Management Support, dr. Sulanto Saleh Danu

2. Practical Session: Medical Logistic for Disaster, Rapid Response Team