Natural disasters are very common nowaedays. In most cases in field physiotherapy is required at various levels. But the feasibility of providing this service in such situations is very difficult.
Physiotherapy is usually long-term process, moreover it often needs for additional equipment,thus we should take into consideration, that natural disaster areas are not proper area to provide physiotherapy. Patients should be withdrawed from disaser area by medical rescue teams to the proper medical unit/hospital (level: 1, 2, 2+, 3 according to the military nomenclature), and then physiotherapy (as a part of rehabiltiation procedures) should be launched as soon as possible according to the opatient's health status, needs, and goals of the therapy. Moreover rehabiltiation is usually provided by whole multidisciplinary therapeutic team, orthopaedic equipment and assistive technology may be useful also.
Dear Gopal, there is many factors influencing answer to your question, including e.g. number of oatients's (survivors?), their health status, local infrastructure, number of medical staff (includimng physiotherapists), etc. Morover there are physiotherapists specialized in neurological physiotherapy (like me), cardiac physiotherapy, pulmonological physiotherapy, pediatric physiotherapy, etc. Clinical reasoning process and clinical guidelines are also important part of it.
The first help, patients need in a desaster area is help to survive, get water, drugs and food. Thats why I suppose, physiotherapy will be a second order problem especially as Emilia already remarked, it´s a long time therapy.
Dear Gopal
I totally agree with the Emilia's opinion.
During their training the physiotherapist acquires knowledge that allow preventive action in urgent and emergency care , are these : specific training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation , bandage , mobilization , positioning , transfers , and knowledge of first aid techniques , thus enabling their work with the team of rescuers .
The importance of physical therapists in a team of rescuers gives knowledge which enable not only to provide proper care to the victim but also act preemptively with the team preventing future complications that might interfere with the health and quality of life of the rescuer.
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