Disaster crisis handling preparedness level of hospitals in Kermanshah

Background: Iran is considered among top ten countries in the world where disasters are most likely to happen, and it ranks 4th in Asia after India, Bangladesh and China. Hospitals are playing important roles in both predictable and unpredictable emergencies. However, crisis management model in a hospital requires careful program planning. This study aimed to survey all Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) hospitals to find out their level of preparedness to handle health services in disaster crisis.

Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study designed and data were collected using checklists consisting of 6 sections and 203 questions.  All six KUMS hospitals were assessed. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics.

Results: The mean preparedness percentages were 54% in Imam Reza Hospital, 25.7% in Imam Khomeyni Hospital and 23.7% in Imam Ali Hospital. These figures for Taleghani, Farabi, and Shahid Fahmideh hospitals were 19%, 14.4%, and 6.3% respectively. The overall mean of preparedness of all hospitals was 23.8%.

Conclusion: The findings indicated a low level of preparedness for the KUMS hospitals. Development of a scientific model that provides detailed managing plans for the handling before, during and after a crisis is highly recommended. Such a model is expected to accommodate for preventive measures, crisis management team or committee, and plans for simulated scenarios to train staffs on how to handle a crisis.