Preparation to provide healthcare in disasters in public hospitals in the district of Lima, Peru.

Objective: To assess the safety and degree of preparation of public hospitals in the district of Lima to provide healthcare in the event of disaster by studying their structural and nonstructural safety and their compliance with the established standards for the organization of the hospital's Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs).

Design: A cross-sectional observational study of 20 out of the 38 public hospitals in the district of Lima was conducted. The hospitals were selected based on the criteria of being state-run, having complete information on open access safety indicators, and belonging to Categories II and III according to the Peruvian Ministry of Health classification, equivalent to the usual secondary and tertiary levels of specialization hospitals.

Disaster Preparedness and Hospital Safety in State Hospitals in Lima (Peru).

Introduction: Peru's health infrastructures, particularly hospitals, are exposed to disaster threats of different natures. Traditionally, earthquakes have been the main disaster in terms of physical and structural vulnerability, but the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has also shown their functional vulnerability. Public hospitals in Lima are very different in terms of year constructed, type of construction, and number of floors, making them highly vulnerable to earthquakes.