Hospital Disasters Preparedness for Mass-Casualty Incidents at Emergency Units in Northwest of Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Ethiopian policy and strategy aim to make health care systems capable of dealing with emergencies. However, Ethiopian health care still lacks a comprehensive “all-hazard” approach and a disaster preparedness program. Thus, this study aimed to assess the level of disaster preparedness in selected public hospitals for mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) in Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at general and comprehensive specialized hospitals (CSHs) in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia using a World Health Organization (WHO) hospital emergency response checklist that included a domain on mass-casualty management (MCM) adapted from a literature review. Results: Seventeen (17) hospitals were evaluated (response rate: 81%). Five (29.4%) were teaching hospitals (tertiary health care) and 12 (70.5%) were non-teaching (secondary health care) hospitals. With an average mean of 97.3 (SD = 33.68; range 31-160), most hospitals under WHO required an Acceptable level of preparedness. Two were at an Unacceptable (0-67) level of preparedness, 12 (70.5%) hospitals were at an Insufficient (68-134) state, while the other three had an Acceptable (135-192) level of preparedness. Conclusion: The preparedness level of hospitals is Insufficient for potential MCIs in this region and needs prior attention in implementing existing strategic guidelines to develop and activate hospital disaster plans if and when needed.

Use of Self-Efficacy Scale in Mass Casualty Incidents During Drill Exercises

“…Contrary to the predominant focus on nursing staff in triage and management functions during MCI in reviewed studies [ 31 , 36 , 37 , 39 , 59 , 63 , 64 ], our results demonstrate that MFRs from various emergency health fields can acquire, train and manage MCI with positive impacts on their perception of self-efficacy. This broader applicability is crucial, as it indicates that any healthcare professionals activated in these situations can benefit from this type of training, enhancing overall response capability [ 19 ].…”

“…However, frequent repetition of such training is both unsafe and expensive. Due to the infrequent provision of training in disaster response, it is not surprising that many healthcare professionals, including MFRs, perceive their preparedness as inadequate [ 19 , 20 ]. Research indicates that higher frequency and quality of training directly correlate with better disaster preparedness [ 21 ].…”