Were our hospitals prepared to face the COVID-19 epidemic?

Background: The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a major challenge for hospitals, which plays a key role in local and national responses to different emergencies and disasters, including the outbreak of communicable diseases.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the readiness of selected hospitals in one of the provinces of Iran in response to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Methods: In this descriptive, analytical, and cross-sectional study, we used a checklist developed by the World Health Organization for the COVID-19 pandemic to assess the readiness of hospitals. We assessed and compared the readiness of four hospitals and used Microsoft Excel 2013® to collect and analyze the data.

Results: The present results showed that the hospital, which was the main referral center for COVID-19, was in good conditions. However, other hospitals needed to increase their preparedness for the COVID-19 epidemic.

Conclusion: Besides the importance of hospital readiness to respond to natural and man-made disasters, these institutions and health policymakers should be also prepared to respond properly to the outbreak of highly contagious diseases.