Department of Forensic Medicine, Lumbini Medical College, Palpa, Nepal.
Forensic Medicine Division, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2024 Nov 28;18:e293. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2024.164.
Disasters, armed conflicts, and disease outbreaks often overwhelm normal corpse-handling capacities, highlighting the importance of mass fatality management in emergency preparedness and response. This paper examines principles, practices, and challenges of ensuring dignified corpse management after catastrophic events leading to sudden mass fatalities. It draws insights from Nepal's experience with the 2015 earthquakes, as well as other recent disasters worldwide. The discussion reveals planning and policy gaps that undermine the dignity of the deceased and prolong trauma for survivors. Recommendations are provided for improving global preparedness to accord proper respect to the dead amid immense tragedy. As climate change escalates disasters, all vulnerable nations must enhance their capacities for systematic and empathetic mass fatality management. Even when protocols exist, overwhelmed systems lead to a breakdown in practical implementations, violating cultural norms. By building robust preparedness through strategic plans, training, infrastructure, and international cooperation, we can preserve humanity even amidst utter inhumanity.
灾难、武装冲突和疾病爆发常常使正常的尸体处理能力不堪重负，这凸显了在应急准备和应对中进行大规模死亡人员管理的重要性。本文探讨了在灾难性事件导致大量人员突然死亡后，确保尸体得到有尊严处理的原则、实践和挑战。本文从尼泊尔 2015 年地震以及世界其他近期灾害中汲取了经验教训。讨论揭示了规划和政策方面的差距，这些差距损害了死者的尊严，延长了幸存者的创伤。本文提出了改进全球准备工作的建议，以便在巨大的悲剧中向死者表示应有的尊重。随着气候变化加剧灾害，所有脆弱国家都必须加强系统的、富有同情心的大规模死亡人员管理能力。即使存在协议，也会因系统不堪重负而导致实际执行崩溃，从而违反文化规范。通过制定战略计划、培训、基础设施和国际合作来建立强有力的准备工作，我们可以在极度非人道的情况下保持人性。
