September, 2005

Information

Use of the National Emergency Stockpile System to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief

Public Health Agency of Canada officials have been in contact with their counterparts at the United States' Department of Health and Human Services to offer National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS) supplies to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The American officials will inform us shortly of their possible requirements, and the Agency is preparing to respond promptly to their requests.

The Agency maintains a $300 million NESS to provide emergency supplies quickly when requested. A 24-hour response capability is maintained.
The system consists of a central depot in Ottawa, and eight other warehouses located across Canada. The NESS contains everything that you would expect to find in a hospital, including:

• pharmaceutical supplies such as various antibiotics and anti-inflammatories;
• folding hospital beds;
• folding military cots;
• stretchers, which can be used in reception centres for sleeping;
• synthetic and wool blankets;
• generators;
• mini clinics (medical) for triage and minor surgical procedures;
• bulk medical supplies, such as various types of dressings, gloves, gowns, masks, etc.;
• 200 bed emergency hospitals;
• mobile quarantine units; and
• water decontamination tablets.

Supplies can be sent out by various transport methods - e.g., truck, plane - on short notice (within 24 hours) for set-up in existing buildings such as schools and community centres.
Additional capacities include supplies to set up first aid and triage stations. Pre-positioned supply centres have a mix of supplies depending on their location and anticipated emergencies that might occur. For example, there are emergency supplies in western Canada to address crises related to forest fires and earthquakes.

While some of the field hospitals are stored across the country, many drugs are held for the Agency by the pharmaceutical manufacturers in order to ensure that they are rotated, thus ensuring we have up-to-date drugs when required.

The National Emergency Stockpile System has been used to support a number of emergencies, both in Canada and internationally. Within Canada, NESS supplies were used during the power outage in eastern Canada, in Nova Scotia after Hurricane Juan, and in a hospital in Halifax to help people stranded after a blizzard. Internationally, a significant quantity of pharmaceuticals, supplies and equipment were provided as part of the Government of Canada's response to the south east Asia tsunami crisis.

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