Disasters preparedness of health workers in Dehloran, Iran

Iran is one of the most vulnerable communities for the expected disasters and accidents. Each year these disasters result in the deaths and injuries to people. The demand for health care requires permanent preparedness of medical centers and their personnel. The current study set out with the aim of assessing the preparedness of personnel working in the medical centers of Dehloran city towards disasters in 2013.
In this descriptive- sectional research, the preparedness of 66 medical personnel working in the health care centers were assessed using questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS15 software. Written consents were obtained from participants in the study.
The average score of the participant`s knowledge about disasters and disaster-related health preparedness was 3.95±1.22. The mean scores of the respondent`s attitudes and performances were 23.27±2.3 and 1.35±1.5 respectively, demonstrating a poor knowledge and performance and a positive attitude towards the need for preparedness against disasters.
Despite the positive attitude about the importance of preparedness to deal with disasters, awareness and performance of employees were poor. Educational intervention with an emphasis on its repetition and designed maneuvers for various disasters is recommended to improve the staff preparedness.