Saturday, December 9, 2006

ROAD TOWN, BVI: A three-day workshop on "Contingency Planning for Mass Fatality Disasters in the Caribbean" concluded Friday in the British Virgin Islands, with delegates from some 21 countries in the region attending the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the workshop, which began on Wednesday, December 6, Deputy Governor Dancia Penn said it was an honour for the BVI to host the event, adding that it is the first time a course of this kind is being hosted in the region.

The workshop was organised for participants to review current knowledge about mass fatality management and contingency planning, learn from experiences of other countries, and understand the management of foreign nationals and tourists.

The Deputy Governor said the importance of these objectives cannot be “overstated or overemphasised.” She noted that the region is vulnerable to a range of hazards - natural and manmade - which can cause mass deaths, and which on account of limited resources in each country can be difficult to handle.

“We have too many examples recently of disasters resulting in mass casualties––the Indian Ocean tsunami, the earthquake in Pakistan, the recent typhoon affecting Vietnam and the Philippines, and floods in Haiti,” said Penn. “These can all happen here.”

The Deputy Governor stressed that preparation, planning and proper management are the keys to improving the ability of governments and response agencies to meet the demands that mass fatality disasters bring with them.

Penn noted that, although there is an apparent morbidity and reluctance to address the subject area of dealing with dead bodies, the workshop will help to sensitise the local and regional communities about the issues surrounding disasters that result in mass fatalities.

“We are truly happy to host this workshop at this time,” said the Deputy Governor. “I hope that it is a successful one and trust, that at the end, its objectives would be realised.”

Penn said she is optimistic that, with the 21 countries represented, relationships will be formed and strengthened, networking increased, and stronger bonds for interregional cooperation built.

The organisers hoped that, by the end of the workshop, delegates would be able to produce an outline of a mass fatality plan that can be adapted to the needs of individual countries, and to identify key gaps and future activities in the field of contingency planning for major disasters.

The topics discussed included a history of mass fatality disasters in the Caribbean, lessons learned from the South Asian tsunami, forensic identification and the legal process, management and repatriation of foreign nationals, and information management, communication and medical experience from the United Kingdom.

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