Management of Biological Disaster: At District Level
District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is the Authority to Plan and execute the Disaster Management programme at the District level. Under DMO/ CMO there are programme Officers for immunization, TB and Malaria. Under the IDSP, a surveillance/ IDSP Officer at the District level in envisaged. The peripheral units that provide preventive and promotive health care are the PHCs and sub-centres. The preparedness measures, of which surveillance is the major functional component, is being supported under IDSP.
All the major outbreaks, man-made or natural, if not detected early and contained, spread and soon go beyond the coping ability of the District Administration, requiring support from the State/ Centre. The primary health care system has to play a crucial role in detecting the early warning signs. The village health functionaries/ workers [ASHA/ Anganwadi Worker/ ANM/ Multi-Purpose Worker (MPW)] interface with the community and are advantageously placed to report public health events to the Sub-centres and PHCs
The District Health setup includes District Hospitals, Sub-district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs. The Public health support is provided by the District Health Officer and other Officers related to public health work such as the immunization Officer and District TB Officers for TB and malaria. The PHCs and CHCs will conduct house to house surveillance, provision of safe drinking water through chlorination, vector control measures, mass chemoprophylaxis, sanitation measures, home care or referral of critical patients. The DMO/ CMO will mobilizes medical Officers from PHCs supported by health workers from CHCs for field work. The teams are constituted usually on population norms, covering the entire affected area. Reinforcement, if required, are arranged by the State Government from other Districts, Medical Colleges and from Central Government.