**5.1 Introduction**

Functionality of the healthcare workforce in a disaster is a major consideration during all phases of the disaster cycle.

Few, if any, parts of society are going bear the burden of disasters more than healthcare workers and their families. Already dedicated to the wellbeing of the population, altruistic and hardworking, healthcare workers will be subject to conflicting responsibilities and seemingly insurmountable pressure. This untenable situation comes from three distinct consequences of the disaster. Increased workload, in the form of volume and acuity, emotional burden of being face to face with the tragedy of the disaster, familial responsibilities with less support than the rest of society, as they are still required to come to work. Additionally, as their work environment is also disrupted- for example supply shortages. Thus, their job is inherently more difficult. Hospital workers face even greater responsibilities with disruption of outpatient healthcare as these patients normally seen in clinics must now get their care in the hospital.
