Question

What healthcare policy(s) are in effect in Florida for residents who face emotional, physical, and financial stress following a hurricane? What are the names of the policy(s), and where can they be found? Also, What is the steps that residents can take to assure they are being treated fairly by the policy(s)?

Answer 1

Ans) When a disaster is declared, the Federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), responds at the request of, and in support of, States, Tribes, Territories, and Insular Areas and local jurisdictions impacted by a disaster. Response actions are organized under the National Response Framework.

- Natural disasters can overwhelm busy hospitals for days after storms dissipate. The reason: a wave of medical needs — beyond injuries — from patients without resources. But when a natural disaster hits, occupancy rates — and stress levels of health care workers — can be pushed to the limit.

- Katrina required public health to respond to a number of issues at once, including: establishing infectious disease prevention, protection, and outbreak control procedures; teaching injury prevention to displaced people; environmental health and safety monitoring of homes, water quality, and shelters.