Assessment of preparedness against emerging infectious disease among private hospitals in a district of South India

BACKGROUND: The emergence of many infectious diseases has been of serious public health implication in the 21st century. Hospital preparedness is a key step in strengthening a country’s ability to address any public health emergency of international concern caused by these diseases. In India, because 80% of the health-care utilization happens in the private hospitals, it is of at most importance to assess the preparedness level of these hospitals against emerging infectious diseases. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional study, and hospitals which provided consent were included. The estimated participants for the study were 54. RESULTS: The results were expressed in a descriptive manner. For the purpose of analysis, the questionnaire was redistributed based on the monitoring and evaluation framework of International Health Regulations and its core capacities. It was found that there was a need to enhance the preparedness of the hospitals in the response against emerging infectious diseases. There were gaps in the implementation of various plans and protocols for staff training, risk communication, surge capacity, laboratory capacity, and infection control in the hospitals. CONCLUSION: The findings were suggestive of a need for preparedness of the hospitals against the upsurge of emerging infectious diseases.