Challenges of Emergency Medical Services Response to Arasbaran Twin Earthquakes; a Content Analysis

One of the most important concerns in responding to disasters is providing Basic Life Support(BLS) services. Considering the key role of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in providing BLS, the purpose ofthis study is to investigate the experience of provincial EMS during their response to the Arasbaran twin earth-quakes and its challenges in Iran.

This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and theconventional content analysis method. Data were collected through Focused Group Discussions (FGD) andsemi-structured in-depth interviews with purposively-selected EMS paramedics and officials in East AzerbaijanProvince, Iran. To form the main categories, the interviews were encoded in three stages and the similar codeswere placed under the same subcategories and merged.

A total of 26 EMS paramedics participated inthe study. The codes extracted from the interviews, after three stages of reduction, were placed in the top tencategories, including the lack of preparedness and coordination, dead bodies’ management challenges, respon-ders’ psychosocial support, deficiencies in supplies and ambulances, difficulty of access to rural areas, volunteermanagement, non-documentation of the experiences, communication challenges, recalling, and deploying ofEMS responders.

Timely response of the EMS and paramedics’ sense of responsibility for provid-ing services were positive and successful points about the emergency response operations. The weaknesses ofEMS should, therefore, be addressed through transferring of experiences and by planning and arranging trainingcourses.