posted on 2023-08-30, 19:39authored byNebil Achour, Hamza Elhaj, Afsar Ali
The increasing frequency of natural hazards continues to stretch the operation of hospital services. Hospitals are expected to remain fully operational during and in the immediate aftermath of hazards to serve those who need healthcare. Despite the substantial research work on preparedness, hospitals still vulnerable and, in many cases, incapable of responding adequately due to issues such as damage to infrastructure and shortage of staff. Substantial research work was conducted on staff willingness to attend workplace; however, little work was able to ascertain the actual capability of staff to attend. This study aims to evaluate the capability of hospital staff to attend their workplace regardless of their backgrounds, jobs, and levels, making it a more accurate representation of the natural operation of hospitals. It contributes to the healthcare resilience body of knowledge, specifically related to hospital staff attendance during and post-disaster events. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey distributed to 1841 hospital staff members from different departments. Results show that the decision to attend the duty during or post-disaster event involves many complex personal and professional factors that can change, depending on the type of disaster, working environment preparedness and the personal responsibilities of the staff. Dependency, travel, training, and mental health in addition to age and work experience influence the capability to staff attend hospital post disasters. Findings established each of hospital's departments, services and professions play a key role in the provision of healthcare service no matter their backgrounds, role, and hierarchical levels.