Assessment of Preparedness Levels in Selected Navy Hospitals for Natural Disasters and Accidents

Acknowledging that preventing accidents and natural disasters is not always feasible, the presence of a well-prepared hospital can significantly mitigate fatalities and injuries resulting from such events. This study aimed to evaluate the readiness of naval hospitals in responding to accidents and natural disasters.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019-1400 at three selected Navy hospitals using Heydaranlou et al.'s (2015) functional preparedness tool for handling natural disasters and accidents.

Hospital A scored 465, Hospital B scored 442, and Hospital C scored 378, placing them in the average range (60%-41%). The study assessed 17 dimensions across the hospitals. Hospital A excelled in risk assessment and rapid warning systems with a perfect score (100%), while Hospital B lagged in security preparedness with a score of 13.91%. Hospital C demonstrated weak recovery capabilities post-disaster with a score of 27/27, falling within the weak category (40%-21%). Hospital A scored exceptionally well in risk assessment (100%) but poorly in security preparedness (2.27%).

The evaluation of the three naval hospitals indicates they are moderately prepared compared to civilian hospitals. The findings suggest a focus on hospital accreditation standards. Collaboration among these hospitals could enhance preparedness, reduce costs, and improve future evaluations to achieve higher scores.