How Healthcare Providers Can Prepare for the Unexpected

As New Zealand gears up for ShakeOut — the annual national earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi — it’s a good time to reflect on the importance of preparedness. Shakeout encourages individuals, families, and organisations to ensure they are ready for earthquakes and tsunamis, knowing how to respond when the unexpected happens. Healthcare services play a key role in this preparation, ensuring that we are not only looking after our patients in normal times but are ready to act when disaster strikes.

Why Healthcare Preparedness?

Healthcare providers are essential in any disaster response, whether it’s an earthquake, tsunami, or another emergency. From general practitioners to community support workers, being ready to act quickly can save lives and reduce harm. Clinics, hospitals, and community care workers need to function smoothly in the aftermath of disasters, often under difficult conditions. That’s why preparedness is critical not just for the public but for the healthcare system as well.

The ability to offer medical care during emergencies relies on effective planning and readiness. Whether it’s treating injuries, managing long-term medical needs, or helping to coordinate evacuations, the role of healthcare during a disaster cannot be understated.

How Phoenix Healthcare Prepares for Disasters

At Phoenix Healthcare, we recognise the need to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies. Our support workers and clinic staff are trained to respond in ways that ensure both their own safety and the safety of those under their care. We focus on:

• Support worker training. Our support workers are briefed and trained regularly in emergency procedures, including what to do during earthquakes and tsunamis. They are taught how to assist vulnerable patients in a calm and safe manner.
• Clinic preparedness. Our clinic has protocols in place to continue providing essential healthcare during emergencies. This includes securing medical equipment, maintaining access to essential supplies, and communicating effectively with patients during times of crisis.
• Earthquake and tsunami measures. Specific steps we take include regular business continuity plans for staff, keeping our facilities safe, and ensuring there’s a communication plan in place for both our team and the wider network.

Occupational Health and Preparedness

Our role in supporting community preparedness extends beyond our own premises. Through our occupational health services, we help other businesses ensure their staff are prepared for emergencies. This includes offering guidance on workplace safety during disasters.

Many workplaces don’t realise the importance of having a robust plan in place until it’s too late. Simple steps, such as knowing basic first aid the safest places to take cover during an earthquake or having an evacuation plan for a tsunami, can make all the difference when seconds count.

Community Involvement

We encourage everyone to take part in ShakeOut and to take a moment to think about your own preparedness. Here are a few simple reminders that can help keep you safe in the event of an earthquake or tsunami:

• Drop, cover, and hold. In an earthquake, drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold onto something sturdy. This simple action can protect you from falling objects.
• Know your evacuation routes. If you live or work in a tsunami risk zone, it’s important to know where the safe evacuation routes are and to move quickly after an earthquake, without waiting for an official warning.
• Emergency kits. Having an emergency kit with essential supplies like water, non-perishable food, and medical supplies is a simple way to ensure you can cope in the first few days after a disaster.

Participating in drills like ShakeOut can make a significant difference in how well we respond when an emergency happens. At Phoenix Healthcare, being prepared is something we take seriously, not just for our staff and facilities, but for the well-being of the community we serve.

Taking the time to plan ahead — whether at home, at work, or in the community — helps everyone. It reduces pressure on emergency services and makes our community more resilient. This New Zealand National Earthquake Drill and Tsunami Hīkoi, let’s all take a moment to ensure we’re prepared for whatever may come.

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