2022 Volume 59 Issue 4 Pages 147-156
Purpose: To evaluate business continuity planning including transportation, medical logistics and business continuity plan for non-infrastructural damage to Japanese hospitals due to disaster. Methods: A disaster preparedness questionnaire was sent to 2,537 hospitals and clinics in Japan in 2018, and the completed responses of 495 hospitals were analyzed. Results: In the event of disabled elevators, planned patient transportation was mainly by stretcher in 393 hospitals (74.9%), followed by being carried on the back of staff, by wrapping in a blanket, and by emergency wheelchair. Emergency rations for patients were stocked mostly in warehouses, followed by kitchens and hospital wards. Stocks of medicines and disposable medical equipment were sufficient to last 2–3 days in 66.3% of hospitals, whereas 11.5% of hospitals had no stockpiles. Emergency rations for hospital staff were stocked for 3 days in 66.1% of responded hospitals. Of the responding hospitals, 66.5% had an organized business continuity plan for damage by disasters and 25.9% were in the process of developing a plan. However, only 44.8% of responding hospitals performed disaster drills. Conclusions: Most hospitals in Japan have undertaken business continuity disaster planning. However, practice emergency drills should be performed much more regularly in Japan.
