Health, well-being and quality of life of community members displaced after an industrial disaster in Trinidad

Aims The study sought to investigate the lived experiences regarding the health, well-being and quality of life of persons experiencing displacement due to an industrial disaster in Trinidad. Study and methods The study used qualitative design using focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The study explored the experiences of two tiers of participants: first, participants were drawn from people who experienced the disaster themselves and second from the health care providers who provided intervention for persons affected by the disaster. Purposive sampling was used to select a list of participants from these two groups of participants, and data were collected over a 3-week period following the oil spill. Results Residents experienced the disaster as a life-threatening tragedy. The immediate effects of the disaster were felt as many people complained of respiratory problems. Diets were also affected since people were not allowed to use gas and electric stoves or flammable materials. The groups most vulnerable to sickness were the elderly and children. The medical officers revealed that they were unprepared for dealing with a disaster such as was caused by the environmental pollution. Conclusions The authors suggest that community-level health workers in industrial disaster situations should focus on building community social capital and train first respondents and health workers to become alert to possible health challenges such as delayed or postponed health routines and the emergence of psychological and mental health issues.