Nonstructural Safety of Hospitals for Disasters: A Comparison Between Two Capital Cities.
OBJECTIVE
Hospitals are expected to function as a safe environment during disasters, but many become unusable because of nonstructural damage. This study compares the nonstructural safety of hospitals to disasters in Tehran and Stockholm.


METHODS
Hospital safety in Tehran and Stockholm was assessed between September 24, 2012, and April 5, 2013, with use of the nonstructural module of the hospital safety index from the World Health Organization. Hospital safety was categorized as safe, at risk, or inadequate.


RESULTS
All 4 hospitals in Stockholm were classified as safe, while 2 hospitals in Tehran were at risk and 3 were safe. The mean nonstructural safety index was 90% ± 2.4 SD for the hospitals in Stockholm and 64% ± 17.4 SD for those in Tehran (P= .014).


CONCLUSIONS
The level of hospital safety, with respect to disasters, was not related to local vulnerability. Future studies on hospital safety should assess other factors such as legal and financial issues. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-6).
Center for Research and Education in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.|Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ahmadreza
A
Djalali
Department of Disaster and Emergency Health, National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ali
A
Ardalan
Department of Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gunnar
G
Ohlen
Center for Research and Education in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Pier Luigi
PL
Ingrassia
Center for Research and Education in Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
Francesco Della
FD
Corte
Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Section of Emergency Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
Maaret
M
Castren
Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.|Section of Emergency Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lisa
L
Kurland
disaster; hospital; nonstructural; safety