Palliative care in catastrophic disasters and humanitarian crises

Both catastrophic disasters and humanitarian crises can have widespread, long-term, and often unpredictable negative impacts, causing shortages of safe water, food, shelter, transportation, and sanitation as well as the displacement of large numbers of people and the loss of many lives. Routinely ignored in disaster and humanitarian planning are those socially and medically vulnerable populations living in the affected community who are dependent on the existing healthcare system for survival, making them particularly predisposed to the risk of harm or death due to the event. Because of their unique needs, extra steps need to be taken in order to reduce the likelihood that vulnerable populations will suffer injury, disease, or even death. Serious health-related suffering resulting from illness or injury stemming from a natural or man-made crisis could be ameliorated by the inclusion of palliative care services in planning and response activities. While the primary goal of disaster medicine is to maximize the number of lives saved and to ensure the best outcomes for the community as a whole, a holistic and fully compassionate response necessitates a secondary goal of minimizing the physical and psychological suffering of those whose lives may be shortened by a crisis event. In order to effectively provide palliative care services in crisis situations, all care delivery sites, especially triage and alternative care sites, will need clearly articulated protocols, trained staff (including personnel with palliative care, mental health, and spiritual counselling skills), supplies (including those necessary for appropriate pharmacological treatment), and appropriate space for dying patients.