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Running header: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ
HOSPITAL
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Emergency Preparedness Plan for King Abdul Aziz Hospital
Mohammed Ibrahim Alghamdi
M.Sc. Disaster Medicine and Management
Capstone Project Committee:
Dr. Jean B. Bail, Ed.D., RN, MSN, CEN, EMT-P (Program Director)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Emergency Preparedness Plan for King Abdul Aziz Hospital
Abstract
Apparent increase of disasters in the world have challengedthe effectiveness of
disaster management systems. A disaster can be artificial (man-made like hostile, armed
violence) or natural like storms, earthquakes, fire, chemical leakage. Leaving aside the
potential damage and disruption to infrastructure, disaster can have major effect on health and
huge impact on environment. The disaster can affect the overall health of public (physical,
mental, psychological), loss of infrastructure (buildings, roads, sewerage system, electric
supply line etc.), loss of resources (corps, food storage etc.). These losses can be minimized
by efficient handling and being well prepared for the worst possible situation (Disaster), this
need a well-established disaster management plan.
The study in hand is focused on emergency preparedness plan in the situation of
disaster for hospitals. This thesis document is created by systematic approach of research
methodologies. A state-of-art mixed method of applied and exploratory techniques is used.
While the data collection methods used for this research are secondary and experimental. The
assessment of hospitals has been carried out by using disaster risk assessment at the hospital.
The training and preparedness of staff is also assessed by questionnaire. The data of staff
assessment are processed though statistical software SPSS. Critical Review of Original
Emergency Preparedness Plan of King Abdul Aziz Hospital, Saudi Arabia is used for realtime evaluation of obstruction, deficiencies and weaknesses. After suggesting the emergency
operation plan, the orientations have been arranged for the hospital staff and training drill
have been done.
Solutionsand recommendation of weaknesses found in emergency preparedness plan
are based on compliance with ISO, OSHA, WHO and disaster management of Saudi Arabia.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Table of Contents
References ................................................................................................................................ 25

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

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List of Figures
Figure 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 5 ......................................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 6 ......................................................................................................................................... 25

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Abbreviations
DDM

Disaster Medicine and Management

KAAH

King Abdul Aziz Hospital

OSHA

Occupational Health & Safety Administration

MSDs

Material Safety Data Sheets

SGS

Saudi Geological Survey

VPP

Voluntary Protection Programs

JCAHO

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

ISO

International Standards Organization

OSHA

Occupational Health & Safety Administration

WHO

World Health Organization

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Emergency preparedness plan for king Abdul Aziz hospital
Statement of Purpose
As the author have worked with King Abdul Aziz Hospital, author found that
emergency preparedness plan has been establish in past. The recent standards and new
approaches to preparedness are missing. While the hospital is in the vulnerable coastal plain
of red sea which recently faced the flood in 2009 and later in recent decades.
The vulnerability of the hospital can be easily depicted by the recent study which
suggest that the rate of illness and injury are higher in hospitals than in construction industry
and manufacturing industry. The states show thatmore than 4660 people have died since
1980, 32000 people have been affected and US$ 4.65 Billion in damage has been caused by
the disasters in Saudi Arabia (Case and Demographic Incidence Rates, private industry,
2013).
In the past 2 decades, the frequency of natural disasters and effects in terms of human
and economic costs haveraised alarmingly at global level, and this increase has been much
greater in developing countries than in developed ones. More than 4.1 billion people were
affected by natural disasters, from 1984 to 2003(Hazards of nature, risks to development: an
IEG evaluation of World Bank assistance for natural, 2006). In the first half of this period
(1984–93), the number affected grew from 1.6 billion to almost 2.6 billion.In the second half
(1994–2003), with yearly estimates of up to 200 million (UNISDR, 2005).

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Disasters between 1990 and 1999 contributed to material losses of US$ 652 billion
24, in constant dollars. In the years 2004–05 alone, over 160 countries were affected by
technological and natural disasters, resulting in over 350000 deaths and over US$ 254 billion
in costs (Keynote, 2006).
As the student of Master in DMM, author purpose this study to establish a well
standardized emergency response plan for King Abdul Aziz Hospital Saudi Arabia. The main
reason for this project is to provide sufficient practical knowledge about disaster preparedness
to overcome the lack of acceptance of core competencies.
From this research, not only King Abdul Aziz Hospital will be able to get
international standards but other hospital/ organizations in the regionwill also be well
prepared for disasters and can adopt the plan. Author’s focus will be on getting OSHA
standards, ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems) and ISO 45001 (Occupational health
and safety Management system). The research will be a minor contribution from Capstone
Department of Disaster Medicine and Management to Saudi Arabian Healthcare
establishments.
Reasonof Project
Disasters in the world are significant increase in past decades. These resulted in loss
of human lives, loss of infrastructure and also effected the economy. Every organization need
a plan for difficult situations to stand safe in unplanned disasters. If an organization have
established and exercised the emergency plan it will not only help the organization but also
will help to community. In the conditions of disaster, most difficult organization are
healthcare service providers (hospitals). As a disaster happens, it result in injuries, harm and
can be catastrophic. During disaster, injured and harmed person need health services. For
consistency of services hospital itself need a very well established and exercised plan. It

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

would be more dangerous if hospitals do not have a plan or plan is not very well exercised.
This project focuses on the different aspect of emergency preparedness plan.
Statistics around the world
In the statistical data of OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses, hospitals are the most
hazardous place than manufacturing and construction. The comparative rate of injuries and
illness in 1989 was at the peak of graph. Hospital have work so far to reduce the rate of
illness and harm but till date these remain most hazardous place than other industries.
In 2011, U.S. hospitals have recorded 253,700 work-related injuries and illnesses,
which evaluates to a rate of 6.8 work-related injuries and illnesses for every 100 full-time
employees (Figure 1). In the United States, Rates of OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses
are effectively decreasing in all industries including in hospitals. However, as a whole, the
injury and illness rate in hospitals remains nearly double the rate for private industry and it is
also outrageous than the rates in construction and manufacturing two industries that are
commonly thought to be relatively hazardous (Figure 1).
These statistics shows that hospital need more attention on hazard control methods
and should have disaster management plan for consistency of services in such difficult times.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Figure 1.
Rates over time in hospitals have exceeded (Figure 2) than in both construction and
manufacturing industry.Manufacturing and hospitals reported nearly equal rates of cases with
days away from work, and the rate in construction was significantly higher in the early 1990s.
However, the rate in construction had decreased below that of hospitals, and the
manufacturing sector had also decreased its injury rate to the private industry average by
2009.

Figure 2.
Days away from work not only reduces the capacity to provide service but it also
effects on the routine performance, overall health of employees and high premiums of health
insurance.Private industries have work on hazard control and risk mitigation processes to
reduce the rate of illness and injuries.
Similar challenges have been faced from other healthcare fields. Higher rate of days
away from work and injury have been recorded in the facilities where higher percentage of
patients need mobility and assistant (Figure 3). Therates in ambulatory care (doctor, offices)
are predominantly much lower than hospital rates. The figure below shows OSHA statistics

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

with comparative data of nurses and residential care facilities, hospitals, over all private
industries and ambulatory care.
This data show the relative hazardous categories in healthcare service providers. In
the situation if any unplanned event or disaster more hazardous place will be difficult to
handle the situation. These places can be predicted and mitigation/prevention techniques can
increase the control over the situation (disaster).

Figure 3.
Sprains and strains are the most persistent injuries resulting in days away from
work,these records for 54 percent of injuries (Figure 4). If we summaries top six most
repeated injuries these will include fractures, multiple trauma, soreness, cuts and punctures.
Notethat “days away from work” data tend to undercounted forexposure to tuberculosis,
needle stick punctures, communicable diseases, and other phenomenon that might have
remarkable consequences even when they do not cause the injury to worker resulting inleave
work immediately due to work related injury / illness.
As the data show days away from work in normal condition this must be considered
in planning for emergency situations.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

One of the many injuries that can be classified ismaterial safety data sheets (MSDs),
which are directly associated with the handling of hazardous materials. Generally in private
industry, MSDs injuries consists of 34.1 %. In hospitals, MSDs counted for 46.4 % of these
injuries: 27,340 MSDs injuries out of a total of 58,860 resulted in days away from workare
also recorded in 2011.

Figure 4.
Unplanned handling hazardous material in the disastrous situation can result in more
injury and can increase the risk. Evaluation and mitigation of this foreseen hazard can be
achieved by preparedness.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

In Saudi Arabia
Floods
Because of global warming, climatic variations and anthropogenic changes, floods
have been increased in various regions worldwide. The emerging impact from floods is often
harmful. Jeddah, a coastal Saudi city on the Red Sea to the west (Figure 5), has
encounteredextreme event in November 2009, when flooded water and sediments invaded the
urban areas and resulted in loss of many people,collapsed the infrastructure and civilized
regions. The deficiency of mitigation system implements exacerbated the trouble.
In this flood, catastrophic consequences were resulted and more than 100 people were
deceased and a large number of villages were partially or totally drifted by the effect of huge
amounts of sediments and water. In 2019“At least 12 people killed as floods wreak havoc in
Saudi Arabia”(Al Jazeera News 30 Jan).

Figure 5.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR KING ABDUL AZIZ HOSPITAL

Fire
“Fire in Saudi Hospital’s Maternity Unit Kills at Least 25” (New York Times Dec. 24,
2015).the report also detailed that Fire destroyed the maternity and child intensive care unit
of a hospital in Saudi Arabia early Thursday, killed at least 25 people and injuring more than
100. It was the third mishap to occur in the deserted kingdom since the past four months. The
fire also injured at least 107 people in total.
Earthquake and volcano:
In north western Saudi Arabia more than 30000 earthquakes have occurred during
April and June 2009 (Pallister, 2010). These earthquakes took place beneath HarratLunayyir
(Figure 6). Hugely intense act...