Proposed model for the planning of temporary health buildings constructed after earthquakes

Because of the influence of meteorological effects and location, Turkey is affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, floods, falling rocks, fires, avalanches, ground water rises. When the statistics are taken into account about the structural damages caused and losses incurred by the earthquakes, earthquake is moving to the top position amongst the other disasters. Many countries are affected by the earthquake and damages caused by the earthquake in the same way; both the loss of lives and injuries as well as the country's economy. The importance of interventions in emergency health care done after an earthquake emerges especially considering the numerical data of earthquake-related deaths and injuries.Looking at past major earthquakes in Turkey and the earthquake zone countries, the number of casualties or injured can reach to enormous proportions. The main reasons for the high number of casualties and wounded are the damages to the structures and the problems and/or deficiencies in health interventions after a disaster. The presence of health structures amongst the damaged structures and these structures being unusable after the earthquake complicates emergency interventions or preventing them, causing further loss of lives and injuries to be reached to enormous proportions.In cases when emergency interventions cannot be performed at existing health structures, installation of a variety of temporary health buildings is carried out in the earthquake region. However, temporary health buildings established after the earthquake not provide the appropriate conditions to perform many emergency interventions. Besides that prolonged interference due to the installation periods can result as the loss of people who may survive because of the emergency response. These shortcomings are mainly caused by temporary health building units that are not designed in a systematic approach before the earthquake.To perform health interventions after disasters as quickly as possible and under the necessary conditions, studies about the units of temporary health building are of utmost importance. In this period of time during when earthquake damage scenarios and possible future earthquake maps are created, a model established for the temporary health building needs to be prepared.For this purpose in this study; research about constructing a temporary health building after the earthquake has been established, and a model for this building has been proposed.In the first chapter, shortcomings in the existing health buildings in Turkey after an earthquake are discussed, and their revealed results had been put forth. The aim of the study, its significance and limitations are determined.In the second chapter, a variety of temporary health buildings all around the world and Turkey generated after the earthquakes were examined, and shortcomings and problems of these structures are explained. Stocktaking of existing health buildings in Turkey, how many of these buildings can be used actively in an earthquake and health intervention strategies after an earthquake and the problems that may occur are investigated. In addition, health problems occurring after the earthquake, their causes and types are determined.In the third chapter, a model is created for temporary health building started prior to the earthquake till after the earthquake that contains the process of extending the selection of the installation area until re-evaluation of the building by using the systems approach for planning of temporary health buildings to be used after the earthquake.In the fourth chapter, the application of the model created for the temporary health building is practiced. Making applications for each sub-system of Temporary Health Building Model, particularly in the design and production process sub-systems are not possible in terms of time, expertise and funding. Because of that, the application of the proposed model for a temporary health building is limited with the selection of the installation area. The applicability of the model is tested on site.In the fifth chapter, the results are evaluated and necessary advices are given.In this context; this study will be helpful in the choice of installation space, design, production, and installation and re-evaluation process of the temporary health buildings for an accurate and smooth evaluation for possible earthquakes in the future. With the usage of the Temporary Health Building Model, objectives such as to minimize loss of lives after the earthquake and to intervene injured people in time and in necessary conditions will be achieved.