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Disaster Management following the Chi-Chi Earthquake in Taiwan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Yu-Feng Chan ,
Kumar Alagappan ,
Arpita Gandhi ,
Colleen Donovan ,
Malti Tewari  and
Sergey B. Zaets
Yu-Feng Chan*
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Kumar Alagappan
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical School, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
Arpita Gandhi
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Colleen Donovan
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Malti Tewari
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Sergey B. Zaets
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
*
Yu-Feng Chan, MD Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, ADMC 11 Room 1110, 30 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ 07103, USA Email: chanyf@umdnj.edu
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Abstract

The earthquake that occurred in Taiwan on 21 September 1999 killed >2,000 people and severely injured many survivors. Despite the large scale and sizeable impact of the event, a complete overview of its consequences and the causes of the inadequate rescue and treatment efforts is limited in the literature. This review examines the way different groups coped with the tragedy and points out the major mistakes made during the process. The effectiveness of Taiwan's emergency preparedness and disaster response system after the earthquake was analyzed.

Problems encountered included: (1) an ineffective command center; (2) poor communication; (3) lack of cooperation between the civil government and the military; (4) delayed prehospital care; (5) overloading of hospitals beyond capacity; (6) inadequate staffing; and (7) mismanaged public health measures.

The Taiwan Chi-Chi Earthquake experience demonstrates that precise disaster planning, the establishment of one designated central command, improved cooperation between central and local authorities, modern rescue equipment used by trained disaster specialists, rapid prehospital care, and medical personnel availability, as well earthquake-resistant buildings and infrastructure, are all necessary in order to improve disaster responses.

Keywords

Chi-Chi Earthquakedisaster managementdisaster planningearthquakeNantouTaichungTaiwan
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , June 2006 , pp. 196 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2006

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