1. Management of the Event/Incident.

The management of the event could either make or break

the response. It sets the overall direction of the actions to be undertaken, holds the other key
elements in place, and keeps them functional. The effective and efficient management of the
incident requires the establishment and operationalization of four key elements which are
multi-layered and multi-sectoral.
2. ► First is the establishment of the Incident Command System (ICS), which clearly establishes
the chain of command in managing the event, the structure and lines of authority, and the roles
and functions that each of the mandated offices/units or officials/staff has to carry out.
3. ► Second is the establishment and running of the Operations Center (OpCen), which HEALTH
EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RESPONSE MANAGEMENT Management of the Event/Incident
Management of the Victims Incident Command System Mass casualty incident Community/
evacuation center Surge hospital capacity Package of services Management of the dead
Management of Service Providers Teams for special events Teams for emergency/ disaster
Teams for foreign assignment Management of Volunteers (local/foreign) Data and information
management Knowledge management Documentation Logistics Management Financial
Management Lifelines A well-organized and eective response Management of Information
System Management of Non-human Resources Operations Center Coordination Early Warning
Alert Response System Chapter 1: Health Emergency and Disaster Response Framework 16
serves as the hub for coordination, communication, command and control, in close coordination
with the Incident Command (IC).
4. ► Third is setting up and sustaining intra/inter and multi-sectoral coordination at various levels
of operation: local, regional, national and international.
5. ► Fourth is the establishment of the EWARS that prompts appropriate levels and types of
response measures according to levels of alert. 2. Management of the Victims. Management of
victims covers both the living and the dead. It includes the provision of a package of services to
the victims in various settings and situations and the provision of technical support in the
management of the dead. There are five elements in the management of victims, as
summarized below:
6. ► First is the management of mass casualty incidents, which includes both the prehospital and
hospital care and services.
7. ► Second covers the management of displaced populations in the community and those placed
in temporary shelters or evacuation centers.
8. ► Third is concerned with the surge capacity in hospitals, which necessitates the provision of
extra space, staff, stuff and special services (e.g., fast discharge of inpatients, transfer of in-
patients to other hospitals, etc.).
9. ► Fourth is the package of Health Services (public health including pre-hospital and hospital
care), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, and Psychosocial Services to be made
available as part of the response.
10. ► Fifth is the management of dead where the specific role of the DOH is established relative to
the other government agencies. 3. Management of Service Providers. This component provides
support to the continuous delivery of the package of services by identifying, mobilizing and
deploying appropriate and a sufficient number of teams on time, supported with continuous
monitoring and evaluation. This entails the following elements:
11. ► First is the identification, mobilization and deployment of teams during special events. These
are events that involve mass gathering of people at the local, sub-national and national levels.
These may entail the presence of very important personalities (e.g., the President, other
government officials, etc.) or international personalities (e.g., the Pope, etc.). These special
events may also include international conferences/ summits that which the Philippines hosts
(e.g., APEC, etc.). Appropriate response teams need to be mobilized and deployed for these
events.
12. ► Second covers the guides and protocols on the identification, mobilization and deployment
of response teams during health emergency or disaster. This involves the identification of the
different types of response teams to be mobilized, their composition and tasks, and the
expertise required of them. Teams include those needed to perform rapid health assessment
(RHA), to deliver Health Services, WASH, Nutrition and Psychosocial Services, to provide medical
services, and handle trauma cases, as well as teams to attend to the administrative and financial
17 needs of the operations.
13. ► Third is the identification, mobilization and deployment of humanitarian teams to other
countries requesting assistance from the Philippines.
14. ► Fourth is the management of volunteers and partners, both local and foreign (Foreign
Medical Teams). 4. Management of Information System. This component deals with the
management of information that are essential in managing the response, from data collection,
reporting, analysis and utilization as input to decision-making, to policy and guideline
enhancement, prioritization of resources, etc. It also provides guidelines on knowledge
management as information are disseminated/communicated to the general public and other
groups of stakeholders, using risk communication approach with the proper management of the
media. The overall process and documenting the response is also considered as part of
managing the information system, including the conduct of Post-Incident Evaluation (PIE). The
elements of this component are the following:
15. ► First is data and information management, particularly in identifying specific data to be
collected and the different data sources, and the processing and consolidation of these data.
These are part of the functions of the OpCens. This element also involves providing guidelines
on the different types of reports to be prepared and submitted for specific purposes and the
targeted users of said information.
16. ► Second element is knowledge management, with focus on the use of the risk communication
approach in disseminating key messages to the DOH family, general public, and other groups of
stakeholders. It also includes media management.
17. ► Third element provides guidelines in the overall documentation of the response, identifying
those to be involved in the assessment and documentation. This section also includes a brief
discussion on the Post-Incidence Evaluation (PIE) which is one of the tools in assessing and
documenting the response. 5. Management of Non-human Resources. The last component of a
well-organized and effective response is the proper management of non-human resources. Non-
human resources encompass logistics, finances, and major transportation and communication
equipment and facilities. The elements of this component are as follows:
18. ► First is the need to ensure the availability, accessibility and equitable distribution of logistics.
This necessitates the timely and proper stockpiling and prepositioning, warehousing, special
 procurement arrangements, and management of donated goods, commodities and equipment.
This also includes the inter-hospital, interagency and inter-regional sharing of logistics.
19. ► Second is the establishment of mechanisms to facilitate the mobilization, allocation and
release of funds, including: the utilization of petty cash, contingency fund, and Quick Response
Fund; mobilization of PhilHealth financing; and mobilization and management of cash donations.
Alternative mechanisms to facilitate the release and utilization of funds during an emergency
are also elaborated. Chapter 1: Health Emergency and Disaster Response Framework.
20. ► Third is ensuring the availability and accessibility to lifeline facilities, which include
transportation, communication, and source of energy during the response. This section,
however, is limited to the identification of these essential lifeline equipment and facilities, and
recommended actions for alternative options when these are no longer functional as a result of
the disaster.