Safe Hospitals--Don't Let Them Become a Casualty of Disasters.

The article discusses the impact of natural disasters on the services offered by hospitals worldwide. It revealed that the health sector struggled to survive the recurring disruption of its medical services brought about by natural calamities such as earthquakes and hurricanes, like Juarez Hospital in Mexico in 1985, that claimed the lives of patients and health staff. After such incident, various institutions adopted resolutions and guidelines to ensure the safety of hospital facilities but such effort was not enough because it still lacks the strong political commitment and sufficient financial resources. With the launching of the World Disaster Reduction Campaign, it will hopefully provide the needed commitment and support for increasing the resilience of health facilities and services.