Healthcare disaster prep should focus on kids because disasters' effects on children may be more significant because environmental hazards may affect them more quickly, according to an article on the Medscape website.
Healthcare facilities should collaborate with federal, state, tribal, local, and regional institutions to ensure that children are cared for physically and emotionally during a disaster, according to a policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council and the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Hospitals are unlikely to have explicit pediatric elements in their disaster plans.
Disaster planning should extend beyond emergency services and include a plan for how medical service facilities will continue to provide care for children during and after disasters, the article said.
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