Hospital’s Disaster Preparedness and Management in Tertiary Level Hospitals of Kathmandu Valley

Background: Disaster preparedness involves proactive actions to mitigate natural or man-made disasters, including disaster management plans, exercises, and emergency response plans. Nepal's healthcare sector needs training and awareness on managing Multi-City Incidents (MCIs). Nepal's disaster risk management strategies lack a comprehensive understanding of its institutional capabilities, necessitating a paradigm shift to address adaptation and risk mitigation. Objective: To study the preparedness of hospitals for emergency disaster management in hub hospitals of Kathmandu Valley. Methodology: The study evaluated the emergency preparedness of five hub hospitals in Nepal using quantitative methods. Data was collected from 85 respondents, totaling 425 samples. Ethical approval was obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council, and written informed consent was obtained. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and observation checklist, using WHO's hospital safety index guide and a self-administered questionnaire for healthcare workers' self-preparedness and attitude towards disaster and emergency preparedness. The data were reviewed, cleaned, coded, categorized, entered, and analyzed using SPSS 16. Results: The study revealed that 45.6% of respondents are well-prepared for disasters, while 54.4% are poorly prepared. Factors like education, professional roles and age significantly impact preparedness. The study also highlighted areas for improvement in operational protocols, communication strategies, human resources, logistics, and patient care services. Conclusion: A significant portion of the population is not adequately prepared for emergencies, with disparities influenced by factors like education, professional role and age. It emphasizes the need for custom interventions to improve resilience and disaster response strategies among hospitals.