What is MIS? Describe in brief the various types of MIS.
It is a basic tool of management and a key input for the progress of any society. Health information is an integral part of the national health system. A health information system is defined as:

"A mechanism for the collection, processing, analysis and transmission of information required for organizing and operating health services, and also for research and training".

The primary objective of a health information system is to provide reliable, relevant, uptodate, timely and reasonably complete information for health managers at all levels (i.e., central, intermediate and local), and at the sharing of technical and scientific (including bibliographical) information by all health personnel participating in the health services of a country and also to provide at periodic intervals, data that will show the general performance of the health services and to assist planners in studying their current functioning and trends in demand and work load.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to get the information where it matters most- i.e., at the community level. It is conceded that no country at the present time has such a thoroughly constructed system of health information in operation, but the concept is receiving much attention. The whole science of health statistics has undergone considerable changes in the past two decades. In 1973, the World Health Assembly stressed the need for complete reconstruction of the health information.

There are different types of MIS found to have in our health system.

(1) HMIS (Health Management Information System).

It is used to collect the disease prevalence or morbidity across the country. It can facilitate the assessment of disease pattern as well as epidemiological surveillance of the country.

(2) LMIS (Logistic Management Information System).

It collects the data of status of drugs and equipment from the all institutions through out the country. It can monitor the stock balance. It has made aware the storekeeper and incharge about the expiry of drugs in time.

(3) HuRDIS (Human Resource Development Information System).

It collects the data of personnel administration such as transfer, deputation, long leave, training, promotion as well as relevant bio-data of all employee working in Ministry of Health.

(4) EWARS (Early Warning System).

It is epidemiological surveillance and it collects the data for Malaria, Kalazar, and Japanese Encephalitis from the respective districts and also gives feed back. Its publication has also been made available through out the country.

(5) FIMS (Financial Management Information System).

It collects the record of the expenditure of budget in a particular program usually quarterly basis from the district to the central office. But it is not found to have so effective in terms its regularity and consistency.

 What do you mean by disaster? Explain different types of disaster with examples.
Disasters are simply geological or meteorological phenomenon. But, from a public health perspective, what they do to people define disasters.

"Disaster is a phenomenon which, when it manifest itself in a given area over a specific period of time, has the potential for severe social disruption, trauma, property damages and loss".

"It is an event, natural or man-made, sudden or progressive, which impacts with such severity that the affected community has to respond by taking exceptional measures".

"A disaster is the result of a vast ecological breakdown in the relation between humans and their environment, a serious and sudden event (or slow, as in a drought) on such a scale that the stricken community needs extraordinary efforts to cope with it, often with outside help or international aid".

All the definitions tend to reflect following characteristics:

1. Disturbances to normal pattern of life - usually severe, sudden, unexpected and widespread.
2. Human effects - loss of life, injury, hardship and adverse effects on health.
3. Effects on social structure - damage to government system, buildings, communications and essential services.
4. Community needs - shelter, food, clothing, medical assistance and social care.

Types of disasters:

(1) Natural.

(2) Man-made.

Natural: Those caused by natural forces.

A. Sudden impact or acute onset: geological and climatic hazards such as earthquakes, monsoon, tornadoes, floods, storm and hurricane, volcanic eruptions, landslides, avalanches, wildfires. This also includes epidemics of water, food or vector borne diseases and person to person transmission of diseases.

B. Slow or chronic onset ("creeping" disasters): drought, famine, environmental degradation, and chronic exposure to toxic substances, deforestation.

Man-made: It is divided into three categories.

A. Complex emergencies - situation in which civilian population suffer casualties and loss of property, basis services and a means of livelihood as a result of war, civil conflict, armed aggression and other actions resulting in displaced persons and refugees.

B. Industrial/ technical disaster: those in which large number of people, property, infrastructure, or economic activity are directly or adversely affected by major industrial accidents, severe pollution incidents, unplanned nuclear releases, major fore or explosions from fuel, chemicals, explosives or nuclear materials.

• 1985 - India- Bhopal gas catastrophe - 2500 deaths.
• 1986 - Russia - Chernobyl nuclear explosion - 135,000 people affected.

C. Disaster such as transportation disaster, material shortage resulting from embargo.

D. Air catastrophe - It is frequent now a day - in 1977 air collision - 561 died.

- in 1888 - 270 died in sabotage over Scotland.

The young Himalayas still show some tectonic activity and small spasmodic raises still occur. These Himalayas lie in the Karakoram seismic belt and according to geo-scientists, Nepal has been experiencing many shocks, bigger or smaller, of earth quack due to movement of Indian and Tibetan plates towards the north. Over the last 60 years it has been hit many times by earth quack ranging from 4 to 8.4 in Richter scale. The earth quack of 1934 measured 8.4 in Richter scale, killed 16875 people and demolished 318,139 houses.

Floods, landslides, epidemics and fires are also very common in Nepal. The rapid deforestation, unscientific land use, overgrazing and encroachment of marginal land have led to extensive damage of Eco-system in hilly and the Terai region. In the flood and landslides of July 1993, considered to be the biggest ever, 1275 people lost their lives, almost 500,000 people were affected and physical properties and development infrastructures worth about US $ 100 million were destroyed.

Every year many people particularly children and people living in the rural areas, die due to epidemics caused by gastro-enteritis, meningitis, encephalitis, measles, chickenpox, owing to the lack of health facilities, proper sanitation, ignorance and poverty. Statistics, over the period of last ten years, shows that epidemic is a major killer and claims, on an average, 736 human lives per year.

The incidents of house and forest fires, which are mainly caused by sheer ignorance and negligence of the people, are also very common in the dry season especially from March to June in the hills and the Terai. The rural areas where houses are clustered having thatched roof are highly vulnerable to fire. These fires affect a large number of people and destroy physical properties worth million of rupees every year.

In recent years, hailstone is causing heavy damage to crop and livestock. In addition, thunderbolts, storms, avalanches, and other minor hazards are also experienced in the country.

©2002. Nawaraj Subba, MPH.      Go to top of the Page
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