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Pandemic Preparedness

Organizations should incorporate pandemic preparedness into existing crisis and continuity management systems. As essential services in Canada are provided by both public agencies and private companies, it is essential that all service providers undertake pandemic risk management activities, with clearly articulated formal communication strategies.
Leadership should include strong engagement with all stakeholders and sectors, with sound coordination and control mechanisms in place between public health authorities and non-health sectors. Clearly defined emergency management roles, responsibilities and mechanisms should also be in place, paying particular attention to the sustainability of response capacity and decision-making roles.
The continuity of activities by businesses involved in medical supplies and services, e.g. manufacturers, distributors and providers are critical to pandemic risk management. As all organizations have an obligation to protect their employees during a health emergency, a communication plan is essential. Provision of personal protective equipment and training may also be required. Monitoring absenteeism is important in ensuring the accuracy of a pandemic risk assessment.
Public and private providers of essential services are interdependent and rely on the goods and services of other sectors to sustain their operations. Therefore, pandemic plans should consider potential failures generated by interdependencies and by each essential service provider.
It is vital to have clarity regarding:
  • critical goods and services necessary for the organization to provide essential service/s;
  • key interdependencies for each critical good or service;
  • the impact of the loss or reduction of any of the critical goods or services to the customers/beneficiaries;
  • critical employee groups;
  • the impact of the loss or reduced availability of critical employee groups;
  • Likely points of failure.
Healthcare institutions depend on goods and services provided by other organizations, such as:
  • transport for the movement of supplies, personnel and patients;
  • telecommunications to support patient care, provide tele-triage and maintain business processing;
  • energy to power critical systems;
  • water for health care facilities, pharmaceutical operations and sanitation services;
  • pharmaceuticals, including consumables, for treatment of patients; and
  • Finance to ensure the supply chain.
Healthcare institutions depend on goods and services provided by other organizations, such as:
  • transport for the movement of supplies, personnel and patients;
  • telecommunications to support patient care, provide tele-triage and maintain business processing;
  • energy to power critical systems;
  • water for health care facilities, pharmaceutical operations and sanitation services;
  • pharmaceuticals, including consumables, for treatment of patients; and
  • Finance to ensure the supply chain.
Pandemic risk management should be an integral part of any establishment’s business continuity management. Business Continuity Plans should be based on a risk assessment of the potential effects of a pandemic on the ability to maintain or expand operations. The risk assessment should include consideration of vital components outside the specific organization, such as the resilience of supply chains for essential goods and services.
Business Continuity Plans should be based on explicit assumptions that characterize the parameters of a pandemic, and potential impacts. They should include:
  • identification of critical functions that need to be sustained;
  • identification of the personnel, supplies and equipment vital to
    maintaining critical functions;
  • dealing with staff absenteeism to minimize its impact on critical functions; 
  • clear command structures, delegations of authority and orders of succession.

DPS Group urges all organizations to proactively review their risk management strategies and pandemic plans to ensure that they are optimally prepared should the health risk from COVID-19 escalate. This may be a daunting task, however DPS Group’s expert Accountants are available to assist executives, boards and/or risk managers by taking the time to methodically review and understand your business, and prioritize your needs to mitigate identified risks.
Contact us today to discuss ways we can assist you in ensuring your organization is appropriately pandemic prepared.