Assessing internal disaster preparedness at Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Preparedness
• Hospital Safety

Background:

• Hospital safety is crucial for managing internal disasters like fires and power outages.
• Internal disasters can disrupt hospital functions and pose risks to patients and staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the internal disaster management readiness of the Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh.
• Evaluate hospital staff's awareness, perception, knowledge, and preparedness for internal disasters.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing a structured survey.
• Data collection focused on staff awareness, experience, and training participation.
• Analysis of associations between awareness, work experience, and disaster training.

Main Results:

• High general awareness of internal disasters was observed, but significant gaps exist in training and protocol knowledge.
• Arabic-speaking staff demonstrated lower awareness than English-speaking staff.
• Staff with less than five years of experience had higher awareness but lacked knowledge of the hospital's emergency plan, with limited drills and courses.

Conclusions:

• Enhance disaster preparedness through regular evacuation drills and structured training programs.
• Implement multilingual educational materials and standardize emergency information on staff ID cards.
• Improve accessibility to disaster protocols and increase awareness campaigns to strengthen overall hospital readiness.