• Mahmut Yaman, ÜlgütŞilan GögerŞG0000-0001-5209-5564Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency of Medicine, 21280, Sur/Diyarbakır, Turkey., Abdullah Şen, Ali Fırat Ülgüt, Sema Belek, and Hasan Mansur Durgun.
• Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency of Medicine, 21280, Sur/Diyarbakır, Turkey.
• Postgrad Med J. 2024 Dec 5.

BackgroundHospitals, being establishments with varying functions and capacities, must have disaster plans that reduce vulnerability, ensure the continuity, and possibly increase the capacity of healthcare services; these measures are crucial for reducing mortality and facilitating the normalization of life after a disaster. In this study, the aim was to analyze the operational process of the disaster management plan at Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Hospital following the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study. The study focused on determining the role of the hospital's disaster plan in crisis situations, specifically examining the emergency service task distribution and management.ResultsThe study included patients aged 1 to 85 years (median 34, mean 36.9 ± 19.0), with 52.5% being female. The median injury severity score was 17 (mean 20.1 ± 19.2). Hospital admission was 65.7%, with nephrology and orthopedics being the most common departments. Higher injury severity scores were significantly associated with mortality (P < .05), and dialysis and surgery rates were significantly higher in deceased patients (P < .05). No significant differences were found in age, gender, or comorbidities between groups.ConclusionThe earthquake highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness in hospitals for effective patient care, collaboration among disciplines, and resource management. Detailed data on the hospital's disaster plan and its operational process during the earthquake were provided to underscore its critical role in managing the crisis. Lessons learned will shape future disaster response protocols, stressing continual evaluation and improvement in healthcare disaster readiness.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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