When a disaster hits us, Berthold Gersons, Balance, 174 pages, 21.99 euros.
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On October 4, 1992, an El Al cargo plane crashed into two apartment buildings in the Bijlmermeer.
Berthold Gersons, then professor and head of Psychiatry department at the AMC, just half a kilometer from the disaster site, became responsible for the psychological care of those affected who came to the hospital, and was also given a role in the broader relief efforts surrounding this disaster. The experiences he gained here meant that he was also involved as an expert in later disasters, such as the air disaster near Faro, the fireworks disaster in Enschede, the café fire in Volendam and the shot down of MH17. While each disaster has its own characteristics and its own lessons, there are also common factors. In this very readable When a disaster hits us. Experiences and lessons from a trauma expert, Gersons describes the lessons learned based on the course of the disaster and the relief that followed. In addition to individual psychological care, attention is needed for matters such as public information, promoting mutual support and solidarity, further training of care providers, information and advice for local and national authorities, and holding commemorations and erecting monuments. Gersons ends with an evaluation of the role of the government in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, viewed from this disaster perspective. The book provides tools in a narrative manner for aid workers, authorities and politicians who could suddenly be given a task when a disaster presents itself. Recommended!
