The Preparedness Assessment Indicators Of Hospitals to Response Earthquake

“During the last two decades Iran has experienced its lion share of natural disasters: four major earthquakes, a number of devastating floods and the worst draught in the last thirty years.”(WHO Report; 2007; citation on web searched) “Adverse natural phenomena affect health systems’ operations both directly and indirectly. Direct effects include: 1- Damaged health care facilities; 2- and damaged infrastructure across the locality (including the destruction of access roads), leading to the breakdown of public services that are indispensable to health facility operations. Indirect effects include: 1- An unexpected number of deaths, injuries, or disease outbreaks in the affected community, exceeding the capacity of the local health care network to provide treatment;2- Spontaneous or organized migrations away from the affected area towards other areas where health system capacity may be overwhelmed by the new arrivals; 3- Increases in the potential risk of a critical outbreak of communicable diseases, and an increase in the risk for psychological diseases among the affected population ; 4- and food shortages leading to malnutrition and weakened resistance to various diseases.”(WHO Workshop report; 2004; page13- 14) To those of us who live and work in Iran, earthquakes and other natural emergencies are a reality. In order to deal with this situation, emergency preparedness must become a way of life. “Preparedness is an ongoing process and this may be achieved by planning and testing this plan regularly through drills and exercises. Policies and guidelines also make a country more prepared in its capacity to face disasters.”(WHO report, Report Series No.: (VTU); page19; 2003) “Emergency preparedness programs should use standard management techniques.”(Koob; page9; 1998) “Health care facilities play a significant role in the mitigation of disasters because their particular function is to treat the injured and handle outbreaks of disease. They are fundamental referral points for any community and should be prepared to deal with crises. Unfortunately, health care facilities are also susceptible to the effects of natural hazards and are victims of the effects of disasters. The consequences of a disaster can severely impede a health care facility’s ability to function just when its services are most needed by the. Hospitals may find themselves short of staff, without functioning equipment or communications and lacking water and electricity. But, in the aftermath of a crisis, they will never lack patients who rely on their services.”(Strengthening health systems' response to crises; 2004; p28)