Hospital safety index: assessing the readiness and resiliency of hospitals in Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to assess the hospital readiness and resiliency in a disaster-prone Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach Hospital Safety Index (HSI), containing 151 items, was used to assess ten hospital in West Java and five hospitals in Yogyakarta. Findings The average level of HSI for the hospitals under investigation is B, indicating that their ability to function during and after emergencies and disasters are potentially at risk, thus, intervention measures are needed in the short term. Hospitals in Yogyakarta scored lowly in terms of their emergency and disaster management, even though they have previously experienced major disasters in 2006 and 2010. Practical implications The role of the government is crucial to improve hospital readiness and resiliency in Indonesia. It is recommended that they: identify disaster-prone areas so that their hospital readiness and resiliency can be assessed; assess the readiness and resiliency of hospitals the prioritized areas; implement intervention measures; re-assess the readiness and resiliency of hospitals in the prioritized areas after implementing intervention measures; and develop a framework to ensure that the hospitals can maintain their level of readiness and resiliency over time. Originality/value Research on hospital readiness and resiliency in Indonesia is still limited despite the size of the country and its proneness to disasters. This research has investigated the feasibility and value of using HSI to assess hospital readiness and resilience in Indonesia.