Disasters are low-probability high-impact risks. The consequences of disastrous events are escalating across the world in terms of lives lost, injuries, adverse social conditions, economic costs and environmental destruction. Moreover, the rapidity of action required when an emergency arises poses unique challenges to traditional planning and the provision of healthcare services.

The Disaster management course provides an introduction to different types of disasters, their consequences, and the role of hospitals and practitioners in preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery.
The course employs an all-hazards, hospital perspective, and explores different types of natural, biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, and other human-caused disasters. The course also includes assessments of social and individual behaviors that serve as a foundation for understanding how people act in disasters and how risks are or should be communicated at every stage. Through in-course project, students will learn to apply these concepts to real-world disasters in healthcare institutions, and identify, evaluate and synthesize information related to disaster response. The course is designed to develop proficiency in analyzing and evaluating the response to disasters and identifying solutions and methods for improvement.