Natural Disasters Preparedness Level of Health Service Centers: A Case Study of Dashti City

Abstract

Background: The health service centers should have the ability to protect people while facing a natural or man-made disaster and present appropriate performance in disasters. Objectives: The current study was designed aiming at studying the performance, structural, and non-structural preparedness level of health service centers of Dashti city in Bushehr province. Methods: This study was performed in 2018. The data collection tool was the standard observational checklist of the world health organization. Sampling was done using a census method to study all health service centers. The data were analyzed with Excel software and descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: In terms of the performance and preparedness, the investigated health service centers obtained a total score of 39.40, which showed the poor level of preparedness. In terms of structural preparedness, a total score of 77.57 was measured that showed the health service centers were at a good level of structural preparedness. The score of 56.59 for non-structural preparedness revealed a moderate level of non-structural preparedness. Conclusions: The investigated health service centers in terms of performance were in a poor situation. In terms of the structural dimension, due to improvements accomplished in two recent years, the investigated centers were in a good level of preparedness; but, in terms of the non-structural elements, they were placed in the moderate level. Thus, strategic planning and promotion of health service centers’ preparedness are necessary.