El Salvador - GFDRR

64 | El Salvador: Damage, Loss, and Needs Assesment
the effects of the disaster; 30 the other three are located in the Departments of La Libertad, San Vicente
and Usulután. Another group of facilities, although they were not directly affected, may be out of service
in future emergencies because they lack measures to reduce their vulnerability; these account for 7.2% of
the facilities existing in the six departments evaluated. 31
The damages observed in the facilities are filtration and fallen roofing materials, which allowed
water to enter the installations, affecting electrical and sanitary systems. Other buildings were flooded due
to the overflowing of nearby rivers or creeks, and in the severest cases foundations were heavily affected
due to landslides on the sites were the facilities are located.
The most affected facility was the Verapaz Health Unit, located in one of the municipalities that
were strongly hit by the disaster. At this site, biomedical equipment, clinical furniture and the supply
of medicines and medical inputs were lost. In order to continue providing services, the health unit was
temporarily installed in a sugar mill on the outskirts of the city, thus avoiding the loss of health care for
over 10,000 people.
TABLE 26. EFFECT OF THE DISASTER ON HEALTH FACILITIES. MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH
AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE. EL SALVADOR. NOVEMBER 2009
Department
Existing Damaged b damage in highrisk
Without
zone
c
Health facilitiess a
Total damaged and
without damage in
high-risk zone
Damaged and without
damage in high-risk zone
(%)
La Paz 47 1 1 2.13
La Unión 51 1 1 1.96
Libertad 42 1 1 2.38
San Salvador 77 5 19 24 31.17
San Vicente 19 1 1 5.26
Usulután 52 1 1 1.92
Total 288 8 21 29 10.07
Source: Prepared using the database of the Health Information Unit (MSPAS), infrastructure assessment conducted by
MSPAS and the evaluation mission.
a
Includes Hospitals, Health Units, Health Clinics, Rural Nutrition Centers and MSPAS Emergency Care Centers, and ISR
centers.
b
Includes four facilities that require reconstruction and four others that need repairs.
c
Corresponds to those facilities that, although they did not suffer damages, are in a high-risk zone and will likely be
affected in a new period of intense rains and floods.
30
Severe damages were reported in the ISRI language unit and in the Health Units of San Martín, Verapaz and La Libertad,
which should be relocated and reconstructed. Repairs are also needed to the Health Clinic (Casa de Salud) of Texacuango,
the Unicentro Health Unit, Enfermera Vidal de Najarro National Hospital – San Bartolo in the Department of San Salvador,
and the Los Molinos Unit in Usulután.
31
US$2.1 million are needed to mitigate the effect of future disasters in the 21 facilities. This investment will be considered
part of the medium-term needs but is not quantified as part of the damages associated with the natural events that
occurred in November 2009.