Assessment of Disaster Preparedness Planning in 25 Hub Hospitals of Nepal

Hospitals play a crucial role in disaster response, but they often face resource challenges. Hospital disaster preparedness, involving plans and procedures, is vital to ensure they can handle emergencies effectively. Nepal has identified 25 Hub Hospitals to coordinate disaster response, highlighting the importance of organized disaster management planning in saving lives. This study assesses disaster preparedness in these designated hospitals.

This observational study conducted in December 2023 is a secondary analysis of data from a workshop held in 25 designated hub hospitals in Nepal. The workshop aimed to develop disaster preparedness plans. The study evaluates physical facilities, triage, planning, and available resources in these hospitals, categorizing variables related to beds, human resources, disaster plans, and more. Ethical approval was obtained.

Average hospital bed occupancy in ward was 80% and that of emergency was 92%. The average bed per province was 1272, nurses were 833, doctors were 521, paramedics were 181. Disaster plan was available in 21(84%) of the hospital. Out of 21 hospitals that had disaster plan, surge capacity activation plan was included in 18(86%), infectious disease outbreak plan in 14(67%) and fire safety plan in 7(33%) of the disaster plan. Blood bank was available in 16(64%) of the hospitals. One stop crisis management Centre was available in in 24(96%) hub hospitals, birthing and facility for caesarean section was available in all hospitals.

The study findings reveal varying levels of hospital preparedness in Nepal, including bed occupancy, staff, disaster plans, structural assessments, and available services.