For the administrators involved in Disaster managment

1. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
Dr. D. Sajith Babu IAS
Executive Director,
Institute of Land and Disaster Management

2. hjtu
Any loss of
temporary and/or
permanent nature
which has direct
and/or indirect
impact on the
normal life of
human beings is
termed as a
DISASTER

3. • Public Administration is the planning, organizing,
directing, co-ordinating and controlling of
government operations
• Public Administration in Disaster Management is
framing set of policies and meticulous practicing of
rules and procedures with the sole objective of
reducing the impact of disasters in realms of
Prevention, Preparedness, Response and
Recovery/Reconstruction.

4. Causes of disasters
 Man made or Anthropogenic : Any undesirable
change[s] in system[s] which cause[s] an unbearable
loss in living and /or non living thing[s], the
reason[s] for which is[are] human[s]
 Natural or Force majeure : Any undesirable
change[s] in nature which is beyond the control of
human beings

5. Prevention Preparedness Response
Recovery /
Reconstruction
Stages of Disaster Management

6. Prevention
Reduce
Avoid
Control
Isolate

7. Preparedness
Resource
SOPs
Sensitisation
Skilling

8. Response
Evacuation
Care
Law
enforcement
Men and
material
managment

9. Recovery /
Reconstruction
Normalising
Relief
Rehabilitation
Fund
sourcing

10. Formation of Core Team for taking decisions
A core team consisting of all district heads including
District Collector [Chairman], District Police Chief,
Additional District Magistrate, District Medical Officer and
District Surveillance Officer was formed on 17.03.2020 to
discuss and deliberate on the issues connected with the
management of the disease. The meetings were held at
11.00 am on all Wednesdays.
COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING

11. Established IEC Coordination Committee
In order to save limited resources, a coordination
Committee was formed at the district with Collector as
Chairman and DIO as Convener. The IEC activities of
various Departments [Health, Information, Suchithwa
Mission, KSSM etc.] could be streamlined to chalk out
weekly sensitization programmes in a conjunctive manner.
Lot of duplications on IEC activities could be avoided
through this.
STEAMLINING OF NEWS

12. FIRST DISTRICT to seal the borders
Well before the official announcement of the “lockdown”
period, the entry of vehicles from the neighboring districts
was stopped by enforcing a border ceiling from 17.03.2020
onwards. This helped a lot for checking entry of suspect
cases; this was more of a deterrent as too many persons
could have entered the district with the disease in the
initial period, through the 12 unmanned routes from
Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka.
DECISIONS WITH CONFIDENCE

13. FIRST DISTRICT to pronounce prohibitory orders under
CrPC 144
Prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 were pronounced soon
after the closure of Janatha Curfew on 22.03.2020 from
9.00 PM onwards, and it was in force till the lifting of the
same all across the State. This has immensely contributed
to the containment of people movement especially in the
town areas.
HARD DECISIONS MIGHT BE UNPOPULAR

14. FIRST DISTRICT to start exclusive Covid-19 Hospital
Kasaragod General Hospital was declared as exclusive
Covid-19 hospital and resources were pooled in, to
professionally manage the disease. All other patients were
shifted to the nearby Cooperative hospitals to reduce the
pressure on health staff as well as to reduce the spread of
the disease to other patients.
IMPORTANCE OF CONFIDENCE

15. FIRST DISTRICT to popularize the motto “Room
quarantine in place of home quarantine”
From 20.03.2020 onwards, the district administration
through its various agencies started popularizing the motto
of “room quarantine” instead of “home quarantine” to avoid
spread of disease among other family members and thereby
a possible community spread.
SITUATION ANALYSIS

16. FIRST DISTRICT to start CFLTC
The newly constructed Ladies’ Hostel in Kasaragod was
converted as CFLTC on 24.03.2020 well before the name
CFLTC was coined at the State level.
JUGAAD INITIATIVES

17. MAASH Programme the latest preventive strategy
The MAASH [Masters Against Anti Social Humans]
Programme involving teachers which was initiated on
24.06.2020 became a game changer from the date of its
inception. District of Kasaragod was reporting the least
number of cases from 29th of October,2020 and the Test
Positivity Rate had also come down to less than 5.00% and
was the least in Kerala.
JUGAAD INITIATIVES

18. FIRST DISTRICT to start “Home Care” facility for the
positive patients
The “Home care” treatment for the patients was initiated
at Kasaragod and as on 04.09.2020; More than 3000
patients were successfully cured through this system.
JUGAAD INITIATIVES

19. Established Covid 19 testing PCR Lab in 5 days
The laboratory at Central University of Kerala was
converted as a fully fledged Covid 19 testing lab as early as
on 01.04.2020 in just 72 hours
ACTION ON WAR FOOTING

20. Setting up of Covid 19 treatment facility at Medical
College building
In the newly constructed Medical College at Ukkinadka, the
Covid 19 treatment facility was established in just 4 days
soon after the announcement by the Hon’ble Chief Minister
ACTION ON WAR FOOTING

21. A tertiary care hospital; facility in less than 120 days’
time
With the help of TATA Group, a 551 bed hospital was
established in less than 4 months’ time for treating
Category C patients who warranted tertiary care.
ACTION ON WAR FOOTING

22. Steps to ensure self sufficiency in treatment of dialysis
patients
To treat the 504 dialysis patients in the district a plan was
prepared to establish 70 more dialysis units over and above
24 units present in the district. 16 numbers became
functional in 6 months.
ACTION ON WAR FOOTING

23. Dr. D Sajith Babu IAS
sajithias2012@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 9447271243