Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Unit

Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Courses are conducted by this unit for health administrators, clinicians, teaching staff from academic institutions, government administrators, law enforcement officers, city council members and members from other essential services, who are either involved in formulating/ updating national policies, guidelines/ standard operating procedures or teaching/ training for health sector disaster management.

Specific Objectives

1. To plan and carry out courses, seminars and workshops to increase the knowledge on public health emergency and disasters and their management
2. Develop and conduct postgraduate courses on disaster management
3. Promote research on disaster management
4. To develop regional and international links in the area of disaster management

Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Course

There was no formal comprehensive academic/training course on health sector disaster management in the country. In the changing scenario those involved with the health sector planning and management at state level should be aware of the thrust areas of disaster mitigation, preparedness, early coordinated response, recovery and rehabilitation, for effective planning.

Considering the above facts, the course on Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management training was designed in collaboration with the World Health Organization to impart knowledge to health and other professionals to help the country develop effective policy, plans, guidelines and standard operating procedures for health emergency and disaster management.

The workshop of the Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Course is held during a time frame of 6 days. The course material consists of the following topics, where it may be subjected to changes according to the groups of individuals who participate in each workshop.

Day 1

• Environmental health and managing displaced people following disasters
• An Overview of Disaster Management
• Health Emergency Risk Management

• Health Emergency Management Capacity & Capacity assessment
• Health Planning for Emergencies
• Risk Communication

• Mass Casualty Preparedness plan
• Hospital Emergency Operations Plan
• Management of Civilian Casualties
• Mass Casualty Ambulance/Management
• Pre-hospital Care

• Management of Chronic Diseases Following Disasters
• Disaster Management Centre
• Medico-Legal Aspects of Disasters
• Culture and Society
• Sociological Aspects of Disasters
• The Sphere Project

• Reproductive Health in Emergencies
• Control of Communicable & Non-Communicable diseases in Disasters
• Nutrition in Emergencies

• Engineering Aspects of Disasters
• Disastrous Conditions in Animals in Sri Lanka
• Monitoring & Prevention of Landslides

The First Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management training course was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya on December 2005.

The Inaugural Ceremony of the training course was held on the 11th of December 2005 and the chief guest was the Central Province Chief Minister Hon. Sarath Ekanayake.  His Secretary, Mr Mahinda Bandusena, represented the Prime Minister who was then the Minister of Disaster Management.  The other distinguished guests were the World Health Organization Representative to Sri Lanka, Dr Agostino Borra, the Hon. Mayor of Kandy Municipal Council, the Vice Chancellor, University of Peradeniya, Deans of Faculties, University of Peradeniya, officials from the WHO and the Health Ministry.

Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Course – December 2005

The course gave the participants knowledge and skills related to

• The contextual issues of hazards and disasters and their health consequences, in relation to other health sector priorities and national development priorities
• The conceptual and technical challenges in measuring disasters and their impact
• Principles of risk management and disaster management concepts
• Health sector damage assessment and needs analysis
• The role of epidemiology as a tool for decision making on emergencies
• Public health problems in a disaster situation and its effective management
• Organization and management of mass casualties
• Health emergencies in large populations including complex emergencies
• Current international best practice s in specific public health issues
• Process of health sector disaster management, policy formulation, implementation and review
• Monitoring adequacy of health sector disaster response

The Second National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on December 2006 

The Second National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management was held from 6th to 12th December 2006. There were thirteen participants including senior officials representing mainly health and security sectors and from the Maldivian health sector.

The Third National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on July 2008

Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Course – July 2008

Follow-up workshop of the Third National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management

This workshop was held on the 18th and 19th of September at Hotel Topaz, Kandy. This was organized by HEDMaTC in collaboration with the WHO and the Ministry of Health. The participants presented their action plans for their respective institutions, based on the training they received in the main workshop. Each presentation lasted 15 minutes and was followed by a 5-minute discussion.

The Fourth National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on November 2008

The Fourth National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management was conducted by the HEDMaTC Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya from 24th to 29th November, 2008 as a six-day residential course at the In-service Training Institute of the Department of Agriculture, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya.

Follow-up workshop of the fourth PHEMAP

The follow-up workshop of the above course, was held on the 28th and 29th of August 2009. This programme gave the participants an opportunity to submit their action plans for their respective institutions.

The Fifth National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on July 2011

From 25th to 30th July 2011 the 5th PHEDMa program was held at Rathnasiri Wickramanayake National Training Centre, Hantane, Kandy with the participation of 22 persons. 17 resource persons were present at this training program to deliver lectures. The participants were emergency health coordinators/focal points in national and provincial health ministries, health care facilities and disaster preparedness units. Disaster Management Coordinators and Army Medical Officers were also included in this program.

Sixth National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on march 2013

Sixth National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management was conducted by the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Centre (HEDMaTC), Faculty of Medicine, Peradeniya in collaboration with the WHO country office. It was held as a six-day residential training program from the 18th to 23rd March 2013 at the Kandyan Arts Residency, Kandy. The participants included the Medical Officers, nurses and nursing sisters and disaster management focal points attached to the Ministry of Health, District Assistant Directors of the National Disaster Management Centre and Officers from INGOs. A total of 25 participants took part and was trained by 17 resource persons. At the completion of six successful programs the total number of trained persons in this field island-wide increased to 157.

• Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training course for medical administrators held as a 3 day work shop in May 2006 for 17 participants who were Medical Officers.
• Public Health in Disasters Course held for 35 Health Volunteers as a 1 day work shop in September 2006.
• Work shop for first responders was held in year 2007 with the participation of  38 individuals

7th PHEDMa

Seventh National Training Course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management on June 2014

The Seventh National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management was conducted by the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Center (HEDMaTC) Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya from 23rd to 28th June 2014 as a residential course at the National Institute of Cooperative Development (NICD) Training Centre, Polgolla.

Third Generation Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Course

Following an evaluation and renew of the 6 day training course, it was suggested to reduce the duration of the course to 5 days. Therefore, following a workshop held with the participation of the relevant stakeholders the following curriculum was developed.

Day 1

1. Introduction to health emergency management
2. Roles and responsibilities of the medical officer as an emergency manager
3. Role of the health sector, cluster systems and health cluster, standards, standard operating procedures, legislation, regulations and international covenants
4. Leadership in disasters
5. Rapid health assessment and preparedness planning

Day 2

1. Planning beyond response (rehabilitation and mitigation)
2. Managing the internally displaced persons
3. Response management
4. Information management
5. Risk communication
6. Logistics and supplies management
7. Public health services in disasters

Day 3

1. Sexual and reproductive health
2. Incident investigation
3. Hospital emergency plan
4. Safe hospitals
5. Non-communicable diseases: surveillance in disaster, prevention and control in disaster
6. Mental health and psychological support
7. Medico-legal aspects
8. Management of the dead, missing and the injured

Day 4

1. Pre hospital care
2. Mass casualty management
3. Environmental management
4. Communicable diseases:  surveillance in disaster, prevention and control in disaster  
5. Outbreak investigation
6. Monitoring and evaluation

Day 5

• Simulation exercise
• Assessment of the simulation exercise

The Ninth National Training course in Public Health Emergency and Disaster Management was successfully conducted by the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Center (HEDMaTC) Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya with the collaboration of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine from 20th to 24th July 2015 as a residential course at the National Institute of Cooperative Development (NICD) Training Centre, Polgolla.

Tenth Training Course in Public Health Emergency & Disaster Management for Health-care Professionals of South East Asia was successfully conducted by the Health Emergency and Disaster Management Training Center (HEDMaTC) Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya from 7 to 11 December 2015 as a residential course at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo with the collaboration of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and the World Health Organization. A Total of 30 participants underwent training at the workshop. The participants nominated by the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine for the course were senior & middle level medical officers. There were also participants from United Nations organizations, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Sarvodaya and from countries in the South East Asia Region.