Guarding against natural disaster

Natural disasters have caused death and damage in many places, with the health sector particularly vulnerable to such havoc. Hospitals have collapsed, or been so severely damaged that they have had to be evacuated. It appears that many of them have suffered a distinct lack of disaster mitigation planning during the design and construction phases. To ensure that healthcare facilities can continue to operate after a disaster has struck, at the very moment when they are needed most, the design methodology discussed in this article should be adopted. A successful outcome also demands strong collaboration from all participating construction professionals.