Premises

Where health facilities (such as dispensaries, health centres and hospitals) have been damaged:

· rapid provision of plastic sheeting and tarpaulins, locally available construction materials and/or limited funds should enable initial, temporary repairs to be made so that essential services can continue/resume;

· detailed surveys and the preparation of quantity and cost estimates for any major reconstruction work (including that of training institutions) should be undertaken as soon as possible in order to plan and budget for the rehabilitation phase, only if the health unit fits the new health plan and strategies.

In cases of displaced populations:

· existing facilities in the area may need to be expanded, at least temporarily;
· new clinics may need to be established.

In general, one clinic for every 5,000-10,000 people and one health centre per major population concentration is recommended. (Naturally, local circumstances should be taken into account when calculating such ratios.)

Where no premises exist, the construction of traditional structures that can be erected quickly using locally available materials is recommended. Barring such options, tents can provide an initial temporary alternative. Emergency field hospitals are the least recommended, as they often arrive too late to be used in the initial casualty management phase, contain many items not required for ongoing health care and can be expensive, particularly when transported by air.