Disaster risk management challenges in military hospitals: A qualitative study
Volume 12, Issue 5, June 2022, Pages 1-8
. Somayeh Azarmi, . Amir Hosein Pishgooie, . Simintaj Sharififar, . Hamid Reza Khankeh, . Hejrypour Seyyed Ziya
Abstract BACKGROUND: Disaster can pose significant challenges to the health infrastructure in the
community. Hospitals are the central unit for providing health services in the disaster response
plan. With regard to the vital role of military hospitals in health response to disaster, this study was
carried out with the aim of investigating the disaster risk management (DRM) challenges in military
hospitals in Iran.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was qualitative research performed in 2020 in
military hospitals in Iran. Participants consisted of 12 managers and staff of the military hospitals in
Tehran and professionals in health in emergencies and disasters who were included in the study by
the purposive sampling technique. Semistructured individual interviews based on the interview guide
were exploited for the data collection, and a content analysis method was used to analyze them.
RESULTS: DRM challenges in military hospitals were explained in the form of six categories:
“management and leadership, planning, prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery” and 22 subcategories.
CONCLUSION: Managers’ awareness of DRM challenges in hospitals, particularly military hospitals,
and the design and implementation of solutions can lead to the promotion of hospital DRM and
hospital preparedness to deal with disasters.