Civil-Military Coordination for Health Response to Urban Disaster in Malaysia: Document Analysis

Civil-military coordination remains pivotal during health response in disasters. This study examined the existing civil and military documentation on the health response to urban disasters and assessed the extent of interagency coordination for urban disasters among health and health-related agencies in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 25 papers were finally examined by the READ approach for document analysis using qualitative content analysis and focused on the functions of different organizations such as the Ministry of Health, Malaysian Armed Forces, and National Disaster Management Agency, Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysia Civil Defense Force, Social Welfare Department and the National Security Council. The Ministry of Health emerged as the leading agency with the most comprehensive set of documents (n=11) covering various aspects of disaster health response. The Malaysian Armed Forces also contributed two documents focusing on civil-military collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The key themes addressed in these documents encompassed civil-military collaboration, health response, communication, emergency medical services, coordination, and command and control. The findings highlighted the necessity for enhanced documentation and coordination processes. Suggestions encompassed the implementation of uniform procedures, improving education and instruction, and promoting coordinated preparation to strengthen the efficiency of disaster response. Future research should investigate the practical obstacles to implementing policies and the effects of policy evolution on Malaysia's ability to withstand urban disasters, with the goal of strengthening its resilience.