Emergency Management
Collaborative emergency management among BC Renal and the health authorities ensures an integrated and comprehensive approach across multiple regions. This approach enables key members to anticipate and manage significant disruptive events, emergencies and disasters in a manner that minimizes impact, reduces economic losses and maintains delivery of health services.
To guide this process, the BC Renal Emergency Management Committee has developed a detailed Emergency Management Plan in partnership with Health Emergency Management BC. The plan is updated as needed to address changing circumstances and new challenges.
Each health authority has an Emergency Operating Centre that is responsible for operational response to emergencies within the region and as appropriate. BC Renal assists the health authority renal programs in regional or provincial emergency response, including activating a provincial BC Renal Emergency Task Group as needed.
The BC Renal Emergency Task Group has a coordinating role and can provide support by:
- Coordinating meetings between BC Renal and one or more health authority renal programs to determine needs (e.g., human resources, equipment, etc.) and action plans.
- Coordinating provincial contracts/vendors to ensure continuity of access to renal equipment and supplies.
Raising awareness of emergency preparedness
A key element of emergency management within BC Renal is to foster a culture of preparedness within the regional health authorities as well as directly with people living with kidney disease. BC Renal has created a number of resources to support this, focusing on the special needs of dialysis patients, but also with helpful information for everyone.
These resources are promoted throughout the year and specifically during an annual awareness campaign that runs each May. Most of the patient resources are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi to reach the three biggest language groups in the province.
Two-minute video to help dialysis patients prepare for emergencies
See the full playlist on Youtube
Links
For more information about Emergency Preparedness