The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative Libya and Mr Muhammad Ibrahim, Director-General of the health information system at the Ministry of Health. Participants included the directors and heads of medical affairs of 15 hospitals from the different regions of Libya, including the west, east, centre and south. Libya is facing protracted crises and its hospitals need to remain safe and be well prepared to respond to emergencies and disasters.
A safe hospital is defined as one whose services remain accessible and functioning at maximum capacity, and with the same infrastructure, before, during and immediately after the impact of emergencies and disasters. The Hospital Safety Index, a WHO initiative, has proven to be a valuable tool for improving the safety and functionality of hospitals, so that life-saving and other health services can be provided during emergencies and disasters. The Index evaluates the key elements required for the functioning of a hospital in emergencies, including emergency and disaster management, structural safety and non-structural safety. The revised 2015 Hospital Safety Index (2nd edition) requires that 151 items in structural, non-structural and emergency and disaster management modules are evaluated by trained and experienced independent experts.
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Safe hospitals and health facilities
