Abstract
Hospital preparedness is an essential component of any developed health care system. However, there is no national legislation in Switzerland. The objective of this inquiry was to establish the geographic distribution, availability and characteristics of hospital preparedness across Switzerland. A questionnaire regarding hospital preparedness in 2006 was addressed to all heads responsible for emergency departments (ED). The survey was initiated in 2007 and finalised in 2012. Of the 138 ED, 122 (88%) returned the survey. Eighty nine EDs (82%) had a disaster plan. Our study identified an insufficient rate of hospitals in which emergency physicians reported a disaster plan. The lack of national or cantonal legislation regulating disaster preparedness may be partially responsible for this.
Highlights
Switzerland is a federation of 26 States
In 2006 [15], Switzerland had a total of 124 hospital-based emergency departments (ED), which equates to 30 EDs/10,000 km2, or 16.5 EDs/ 1,000,000 inhabitants
Presence of a hospital disaster plan according to ED and hospital characteristics
Summary
Switzerland is a federation of 26 States. As in the USA [1] or in Germany [2], the health care system is fragmented and highly decentralised. Federal or state funding may be insufficient to support such costs, even in countries like the USA, which have had to activate disaster plans on several occasions since September 11th, 2001 [11]. Following a natural or man-made disaster, a large proportion of patients are likely to present to local hospitals, and hospital-based EDs will face a surge of patients whilst being chronically overcrowded. Both ED and hospital preparedness are key factors in managing acutely ill or injured patients, as demonstrated recently after the bombing during the Boston Marathon [14]. The part of this inquiry that was dedicated to hospital disaster preparedness is the topic of this publication, as Switzerland does not currently possess a description of this essential component of its public healthcare system
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