The Ministry of Health Agriculture and Human Services through its National Health Emergency Management Unit remains committed to providing a comprehensive approach to health emergency management in response to public health threats including natural and man-made disasters affecting the Turks and Caicos Islands.
We recognize that we have to be in readiness for adequate response. We are not only in the hurricane path, but also have significant air traffic locally and internationally. Further, TCI is in the flight path for many Trans Atlantic and Caribbean flights. TCI also has a thriving Cruise Ship Industry with cruise ships docking in Grand Turk nearly every day. We operate ferry services between North Caicos and Providenciales, between South Caicos and Providenciales and between Salt Cay and Grand Turk. We also need to be IHR (International Health Regulations) compliant.
To this end, the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services seeks to strengthen disaster and emergency management responses and build capacity through an intense training in Mass Casualty Management.
Twenty three persons have registered for this course. Participants are drawn from amongst the various response agencies. These include first responders such as Police Officers, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, Health Care workers from Primary Health Care and Environmental Health as well as the TCI Hospitals. Other agencies represented include District Administration Officers from Salt Cay, North and Middle Caicos and Immigration Officers. Four local instructors will be recertified and six new Mass Casualty Instructors will be trained.
The Objectives of the Course are as follows:
- To strengthen the capacity of the Turks and Caicos to respond to natural and man-made disasters.
- To ensure health sector procedures, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood within the current public/private health care system
- To enhance Intersectoral co-operation and collaboration.
The Mass Casualty Management Course is a didactic, multisectoral training course consisting of lectures, field exercises and roleplaying, designed to sharpen the response skills of mass casualty responders, to effectively manage events in human and/or other resources-challenged areas. It will culminate in a series of practical field exercises held at night to underscore nocturnal challenges. On successful completion, participants will be eligible for a certificate in Mass Casualty Management.
For more information contact the Director of Health Disaster, Education and Training on 3383064.