Osman Dirmilli, Deputy Director responsible for Disaster Management at PAU Hospitals, made the following statement on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction:

“Our hospitals are responsible not only for meeting the increased demand for healthcare services during disasters and emergencies, but also for maintaining their own service delivery capacity and ensuring the continuity of healthcare services. Therefore, disaster risk reduction requires a comprehensive management approach encompassing planning, training, implementation, coordination and continuous improvement.

In this context, various activities are being carried out at PAU Hospitals in line with the Hospital Disaster and Emergency Plan (HAP). Key elements of these efforts include assessing risks related to disasters and emergencies, defining duties and responsibilities, organising response teams, planning communication and coordination processes, and preparing for the effective use of available resources.”

Osman Dirmilli: “We Strengthen Disaster Awareness Through Training and Drills.”

Noting that training sessions and drills conducted at the hospitals help raise staff awareness of disasters, Dirmilli said:

“The drills aim to reinforce duties and responsibilities and assess the practicality of emergency procedures. Preparations for potential emergency scenarios, including fires, earthquakes, evacuations and other possible emergencies, are intended to improve response processes and ensure that identified shortcomings are addressed through improvement efforts.

The activities carried out under the HAP cover not only risk analysis and damage mitigation but also staff and patient safety, the protection of critical healthcare units, the planning of medical and logistical resources, communication, intra-institutional and inter-institutional coordination, and post-disaster recovery processes.

We will continue our efforts with determination to reduce disaster risks, strengthen the institutional preparedness capacity of PAU Hospitals, and support the delivery of safe and uninterrupted healthcare services.”