As the right-hand assistance of doctors, nurses are the spine of any hospital or another caregiving facility. Not only do nurses keep track of the medical history of a patient, but they also ensure the comfort of the patient and help them through the most trying times. The significance of the role that nurses play in a healthcare system skyrockets at times of natural disasters, and frequently the local medical staff grows scarce. Consequently, teams of nurses hurry to help, and it is vital to plan their transportation to the place of the catastrophe in the shortest possible time, which will be attempted in this paper.
Natural disasters are highly dangerous due to their inherent features, like lack of controllability and poor predictability. Earthquakes, in particular, are believed to be among the most destructive and top deadly natural disasters (Savage, 2019p. 578). A region in Eritrea is currently experiencing a serious earthquake, with the city of 1700 residents suffering 300 casualties with over 50 unaccounted people. The victims, who have been found and negatively affected, have serious injuries that need to be treated. Various organizations have been transported to the location to help provide water, shelter, and food. However, the local medical staff is insufficient, and the medical teams sent by other organizations are overwhelmed.
The non-profit organization that I am working for has received an urgent request to send a team of nurses to the struggling Eritrea region, where they are expected to stay for two months, assisting the other medical units. The trip needs to be meticulously planned and executed to deliver the team to the location efficiently and as fast as possible. The plan must include transportation from the place of current residence to the village that requires our professional help.
A number of our trained nurses were carefully selected to form the team, that will travel to the region of Eritrea to provide the much-needed assistance. They are expected to depart in the nearest future with some equipment and medical supplies. To arrive at the venue promptly, the team will have to exploit various kinds of transport. Since there are three airports in Eritrea, it is possible to get to the specified location by a regular commercial or private flight. Thus, flying to the destination will not cause complications to the team.
However, further on-land transportation presents a considerable logistic predicament, as Eritrea is an infrastructurally challenging region. As described in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Report to the UNFCCC by the State of Eritrea (2018), Eritrea’s existing road network requires considerable rehabilitation and expansion, as it covers only 16,000 km, out of which only 10% is paved, while 90% is so-called “dry-weather roads” (p. 10). The poor condition of roads along with their absence in some parts of the region results in the necessity to use the off-road type of transportation.
Among the diversity of off-road vehicles, it is preferable to utilize SUVs or lighter trucks, as they are capable of driving on and off both paved and gravel surfaces. Their high ground clearance combined with larger tires will enable access on trails and even forest roads. Conversely, buses will not suffice for the mission unless they possess the off-road characteristics mentioned above. The vehicles for the transportation of our team of nurses are expected to be provided by the local authorities in appliance with our requirements.
In summary, the situation in Eritrea is disastrous and requires our urgent attention and immediate response. Our team of nurses will proceed to the place of the earthquake to lend a helping hand to the insufficient medical staff on the location. The trip of the team will include flying to one of Eritrea’s airports and proceeding to the remote village through SUVs, trucks and possibly buses, possessing necessary off-road characteristics, which will be supplied locally.
References
Savage, C. L. (2019). Public/community health and nursing practice: Caring for populations. F.A. Davis.
The State of Eritrea. (2018). Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Report to UNFCCC. Web.