A view across Latimer Square to the medical centre set up by the Civil Defence after the 22 February 2011 earthquake to treat wounded people.
A video of the keynote-presentation by Dr Jeanne LeBlanc, Registered Psychologist, during the second plenary of the 2016 People in Disasters Conference. LeBlanc is a Registered Psychologist, specialising in Clinical Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation. She is the British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA) Representative for the American Psychological Associate State, Territorial and Provincial Disaster Response Network, and has also been appointed as the Behavioural Health Liaison to the American Board of Disaster Medicine. The presentation is titled, "Machetes and Breadfruit: Medical disaster response challenges in unstable settings".The abstract for this presentation reads as follows: The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti resulted in a massive response to a setting which was already fraught with danger, causing a number of personal, logistical, and safety challenges to responding medical teams. This presentation will provide a first-person account of this experience from the perspective of a behavioural health professional, whose responsibility was both the overall emotional wellbeing of the medical responders, as well as those impacted by the quake. Unique 'lessons learned' by these response teams will be highlighted, and recommendations will be provided for responders considering deploying to future events in highly unstable areas.
Emergency personnel treating a wounded woman at the medical centre set up in Latimer Square. In the background, earthquake victims can been seen, wrapped in blankets for warmth.
A doctor from the Royal New Zealand Air Force and a Medical Team Leader preparing to evacuate Christchurch rest home residents affected by the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Emergency personnel treating a wounded woman at the medical centre set up in Latimer Square. In the background, earthquake victims can been seen, wrapped in blankets for warmth.
A new building under construction on Kilmore Street. A sign reading, 'Danger keep out' has been placed on the security fence.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "There was a medical training course in progress in the Hotel Grand Chancellor on February 22 using mannequins and resuscitation equipment. This is one example".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "There was a medical training course in progress in the Hotel Grand Chancellor on February 22 using mannequins and resuscitation equipment. This is one example".
An image from a Army News March 2011 photo compilation titled, "All in a Days Work". The image is captioned, "Defence Force personnel help with the aero-medical evacuation of elderly and vulnerable patients".
Objective: The nature of disaster research makes it difficult to adequately measure the impact that significant events have on a population. Large, representative samples are required, ideally with comparable data collected before the event. When Christchurch, New Zealand, was struck by multiple, devastating earthquakes, there presented an opportunity to investigate the effects of dose-related quakes (none, one, two or three over a 9-month period) on the cognition of Canterbury’s elderly population through the New Zealand Brain Research Institute’s (NZBRI’s) cognitive screening study. The related effects of having a concomitant medical condition, sex, age and estimated- full scale IQ (Est-FSIQ) on cognition were also investigated. Method: 609 participants were tested on various neuropsychological tests and a self-rated dementia scale in a one hour interview at the NZBRI. Four groups were established, based on the number of major earthquakes experienced at the time of testing: “EQ-dose: None” (N = 51) had experienced no quakes; “EQ-dose: One” (N = 193) had experienced the initial quake in September 2010; “EQ-dose: Two” (N = 82) also experienced the most devastating February 2011 quake; and “EQ-dose: Three” (N = 265) also the June 2011 quake at testing. Results: Two neuropsychological variables of Trail A and the AD8 were impacted by an EQ-dose effect, while having a medical condition was associated with poorer function on the MoCA, Rey Copy and Recall, Trail A, and AD8. Having a major medical condition led to worse performance on the Rey Copy and Recall following the major February earthquake. Males performed significantly better on Trail A and Rey Planning, while females better on the MoCA. Older participants (>73) had significantly lower scores on the MoCA than younger participants (<74), while those with a higher Est-FSIQ (>111) had better scores on the MoCA and Rey Recall than participants with a lower Est-FSIQ. Finally, predicted variable analysis (based on calculated, sample-specific Z-scores) failed to find a significant earthquake effect when variables of age, sex and Est-FSIQ were controlled for, while there was a significant effect of medical condition on each measure. Conclusion: The current thesis provides evidence suggesting resilience amongst Canterbury’s elderly population in the face of the sequence of significant quakes that struck the region over a year from September 2010. By contrast, having a major medical condition was a ‘more significant life event’ in terms of impact on cognition in this group.
An image from a Army News March 2011 article titled, "Defence Medical Personnel Use Their Expertise". The image shows members of the South Australian Urban Search and Rescue team digging through rubble in the central city.
St John Ambulance personnel standing over a stretcher loaded with medical supplies outside the collapsed Canterbury Television Building on Madras Street. Behind them, emergency personnel can be seen searching the ruins of the building for trapped people.
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A lawyer says a District Court ruling could set a precedent for hundreds of people with PTSD. The ruling directs ACC to cover the medical costs of a Christchurch builder who volunteered in the earthquake rescue effort, but was later hit with PTSD.
Members of Civil Defence with a pile of medical supplies outside the Christchurch Art Gallery after an aftershock hit during one of their briefings. The Christchurch Art Gallery served as the headquarters for Civil Defence after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of a member of SPCA helping a member of Massy University's Veterinary Emergency Response Team (VERT) to load medical supplies into their vehicles. VERT travelled to Christchurch after the 22 February 2011 earthquake in order to assist with caring for animals.
Christchurch Hospital has just celebrated its 150th anniversary. The major medical facility is in the heart of the city, beside Hagley Park, and played a key role in the February earthquake, treating the many who were seriously injured. Christchurch correspondent Katy Gosset discovers the hospital faces its own quake-related challenges as it plans for the future.
A report commissioned by the Ministry of Health has found Canterbury residents are unlikely to suffer any health risks from asbestos exposure during the canterbury earthquake repairs. The Report is a review of Scientific Evidence of Non Occuptional Risks - and was convened by the Royal Society and the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor. Sir David Skegg, president of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Dr Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health.
Peter Townsend is the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce. He is part of the official reconstruction group. Geert van de Vorsten Bosch is the emergency Centre Supervisor at Linwood High School which has been turned into an evacuation centre. Dr Ramon Pink is the Canterbury medical officer of health. Metservice duty forecaster Heath Gullery speaks about the possible weather issues Canterbury may soon experience.
A photograph of All Right? with their Consumer Council Award at the 2014 Canterbury Health System Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards evening. From left is Michael McEvedy (Chair of the Consumer Council), Sue Turner (All Right? Campaign Manager), Dr Lucy D'Aeth (Public Health Specialist for CDHB and All Right? Steering Group member) and Dr Don Mackie (Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health).
A woman walks along a ruined road passing a broken sewer leaking raw sewage; rats abound and a voice from a nearby medical centre asks 'Got anything for cholera, Delhi belly and dysentery?' A sign offering 'Flu shots now' stands outside the centre. Context - Christchurch post earthquake of 22 February 2011. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).
The sign reads: The CTV Building was headquarters of Canterbury Television (CTV) and also housed King’s Education language School, a medical clinic, Hair Consultants, Relationship Services and a nursing school. On February 22nd 2011 the building collapsed as a result of a major earthquake. Sadly, 115 people who were in the building lost their l...
St John Ambulance personnel preparing an oxygen mask while standing over a stretcher loaded with medical supplies. Behind them, emergency personnel can be seen searching the ruins of the collapsed Canterbury Television Building on Madras Street for trapped people. Over their heads, a member of the Fire Service in a cherry picker is spraying water on the fire burning in the building. Smoke is billowing from the building.
A St John Ambulance personnel preparing an oxygen mask while standing over a stretcher loaded with medical supplies. Behind him, emergency personnel can be seen searching the ruins of the collapsed Canterbury Television Building for on Madras Street for trapped people. Fire Service personnel have sprayed a jet of water onto the fire burning in the intact section of the building. Smoke is billowing from the building.
A photograph of All Right? with their Supreme Award, at the 2014 Canterbury Health System Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards evening. From left is (unknown), Neil Brosnahan (CPH Information Team Manager), Rose Henderson (Director of Allied Health with the Specialist Mental Health Service of CDHB), Dr Lucy D'Aeth (Public Health Specialist for CDHB and All Right? Steering Group member), Sue Turner (All Right? Campaign Manager) and Dr Don Mackie (Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health).
A photograph of All Right? with their Supreme Award, at the 2014 Canterbury Health System Quality Improvement and Innovation Awards evening. From left is Gillian Bohm (Principal Advisor Quality Improvement, Health Quality and Safety Commission), David Meates (Chief Executive of the Canterbury and West Coast District Health Boards), Neil Brosnahan (CPH Information Team Manager), Rose Henderson (Director of Allied Health with the Specialist Mental Health Service of CDHB), Dr Lucy D'Aeth (Public Health Specialist for CDHB and All Right? Steering Group member), Sue Turner (All Right? Campaign Manager) and Dr Don Mackie (Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health).
In February of 2011, an earthquake destroyed the only all-weather athletics track in the city of Christchurch (New Zealand). The track has yet to be replaced, and so since the loss of the track, local Christchurch athletes have only had a grass track for training and preparation for championship events. This paper considers what effect the loss of the training facility has had on the performance of athletes from Christchurch at national championship events. Not surprisingly, the paper finds that there has been a deterioration in the performance in events that are heavily dependent upon the all-weather surface. However, somewhat more surprisingly, the loss of the track appears to have caused a significant improvement in the performance of Christchurch athletes in events that, while on the standard athletics program, are not heavily track dependent.
The 22nd February 2011, Mw 6.3 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand caused major damage to critical infrastructure, including the healthcare system. The Natural Hazard Platform of NZ funded a short-term project called “Hospital Functions and Services” to support the Canterbury District Health Board’s (CDHB) efforts in capturing standardized data that describe the effects of the earthquake on the Canterbury region’s main hospital system. The project utilised a survey tool originally developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to assess the loss of function of hospitals in the Maule and Bío-Bío regions following the 27th February 2010, Mw 8.8 Maule earthquake in Chile. This paper describes the application of the JHU tool for surveying the impact of Christchurch earthquake on the CDHB Hospital System, including the system’s residual capacity to deliver emergency response and health care. A short summary of the impact of the Christchurch earthquake on other CDHB public and private hospitals is also provided. This study demonstrates that, as was observed in other earthquakes around the world, the effects of damage to non-structural building components, equipment, utility lifelines, and transportation were far more disruptive than the minor structural damage observed in buildings (FEMA 2007). Earthquake related complications with re-supply and other organizational aspects also impacted the emergency response and the healthcare facilities’ residual capacity to deliver services in the short and long terms.
A video of a presentation by Dr Erin Smith during the Community Resilience Stream of the 2016 People in Disasters Conference. The presentation is titled, "A Qualitative Study of Paramedic Duty to Treat During Disaster Response".The abstract for this presentation reads as follows: Disasters place unprecedented demands on emergency medical services and test paramedic personal commitment to the health care profession. Despite this challenge, legal guidelines, professional codes of ethics and ambulance service management guidelines are largely silent on the issue of professional obligations during disasters. They provide little to no guidance on what is expected of paramedics or how they ought to approach their duty to treat in the face of risk. This research explores how paramedics view their duty to treat during disasters. Reasons that may limit or override such a duty are examined. Understanding these issues is important in enabling paramedics to make informed and defensible decisions during disasters. The authors employed qualitative methods to gather Australian paramedic perspectives. Participants' views were analysed and organised according to three emerging themes: the scope of individual paramedic obligations, the role and obligations of ambulance services, and the broader ethical context. Our findings suggest that paramedic decisions around duty to treat will largely depend on their individual perception of risk and competing obligations. A reciprocal obligation is expected of paramedic employers. Ambulance services need to provide their employees with the best current information about risks in order to assist paramedics in making defensible decisions in difficult circumstances. Education plays a key role in providing paramedics with an understanding and appreciation of fundamental professional obligations by focusing attention on both the medical and ethical challenges involved with disaster response. Finally, codes of ethics might be useful, but ultimately paramedic decisions around professional obligations will largely depend on their individual risk assessment, perception of risk, and personal value systems.
A fault line on Dunedin's doorstep could cause an earthquake as destructive as 2010's Canterbury quake. Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles explains why the new superbug CPE is a serious threat. A New Zealand Medical Journal article warns a group of bacteria known as Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae pose an enormous risk to people in intensive care, or having bone marrow or lung or liver transplants. Mercedes-Benz has successfully trialled a new app called Croove, CROOVE, which will let Mercedes owners rent out their cars. Now it's being officially rolled out. The panellists discuss the sign outside a pub in New Brighton reading "Vegan buffet. Just kidding now get away from our sign - you pansy." Is this just a joke or is it deeply offensive? The Kentucky doctor dragged off a United Airlines flight from Chicago earlier this month has received a financial settlement from the airline.