Evaluating the preparedness of Urmia University of Medical Sciences hospitals in accidents and disasters based on national tools

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Accidents and disasters are sudden and disastrous events that disrupt the life pattern of people in the society, endanger human lives and cause many injuries. A large share of these incidents are related to natural disasters, which have left many human and financial losses (1). Due to special geographical conditions, Iran is exposed to various disasters. Disasters cause significant damage to people, hospitals and infrastructure. Considering the important role of hospitals in accidents and disasters, their preparation seems very necessary. The unpreparedness of hospitals in dealing with accidents and disasters is one of several criteria that has a direct impact on the vulnerability of countries. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the state of preparedness of Urmia University of Medical Sciences hospitals in the face of disasters in order to identify the shortcomings while comparing the existing conditions with the national standard. Methodology: According to the purpose of the research, this research is a cross-sectional and applied research, and according to the method of data collection, it is a descriptive-analytical research. All 22 hospitals affiliated to Urmia University of Medical Sciences in West Azarbaijan province were evaluated based on FHSI tool and 9-component tool. And the results were ranked and presented in the form of points in each component and the overall score of percent preparedness compared to the overall average of the preparedness rating and the comparison of the amount of preparedness based on the two tools used. To analyze the data, the method of scoring and scoring tools and spss software was used. Results: the relative average of preparedness in the studied hospitals in accidents and disasters according to the FHSI tool was 45.9% with a standard deviation of 8.09, which is between 41 and 50 points, which earned a score of 5 and based on the 9-component tool, the total score 199.4 and the standard deviation was 36.67. Based on both tools, the preparedness of the studied hospitals was average in facing accidents and disasters. Discussion and conclusion: A significant part of the hospitals of Urmia University of Medical Sciences, in line with other parts of the country, have inadequate preparedness in facing calamities, and attention should be paid to the improvement of hospital preparedness in all its dimensions in order to properly deal with accidents and calamities. It is necessary. Keywords: preparedness, hospital, incidents, disasters, preparedness tools