Earthquake disaster management planning in health care facilities

Equipping health care facilities for times of natural disasters especially earthquakes is of great importance all over the world, especially in developing countries such as Iran. In this paper, first the obtained research results are discussed with regard to the types of structures and the structural and non-structural problems of 110 hospitals in the capital city of Tehran. The earthquake safety procedures for health care facilities, standards and criterion for their appropriate performance during natural disasters and the general requirements for structural design and strengthening methods are then considered. Finally, a disaster management plan and organisation is proposed for these centres.