Assessing Hospital Safety in Colombian Private Clinics: A Retrospective Analysis of the Results of the Application of the World Health Organization’s Hospital Safety Index

Introduction: Ensuring hospital functionality during and after disasters is crucial for global communities. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Hospital Safety Index (HSI) serves as a robust instrument for evaluating hospital safety to disasters in three components: structural, non-structural, and emergency and disaster management. This study leverages HSI scores to assess safety trends in 15 private clinics in Colombia. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on existing Hospital Safety Index (HSI) scores from 15 private Colombian clinics (2015-2023). Data was sourced from the safety index calculator tool of each institution, which reflects the evaluations by a multidisciplinary team (structural engineer, hospital architect, disaster management nurse). Results were contrasted with the evaluation team´s recommendations. Correlation analysis explored the relationship between specific HSI components and overall safety performance. Results: The primary threats to all clinics were earthquakes and fires. Overall, the structural and non-structural components demonstrated adequate safety levels for both risks. Key areas of concern include insufficient knowledge about post-disaster water and energy autonomy and inadequate restrain of furniture, equipment, and pharmacy/warehouse contents to prevent tipping during an earthquake. The analysis revealed that emergency and disaster management was the weakest component across all clinics, with a prevalence of the “paper plan syndrome”. Conclusion: The results consistently show that while there are aspects of the structural and non-structural components that are common to all clinics that could be improved, the primary deficiency lies in the lack of a comprehensive emergency and disaster risk management plan. Such a plan should promote a gradual reduction of vulnerabilities, be based on an understanding of the real challenges posed by a disaster, and be developed in a multidisciplinary manner by decision-makers. Moreover, the plan should be disseminated to all employees, contractors, and patients, tailored to their specific roles.