On November 1, the IX International Scientific Conference “Challenges of Globalization in Economics and Business” was held at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
The conference brought together about 100 professors, teachers, and researchers from Georgian and international higher education institutions and research institutes. They presented research papers addressing contemporary challenges in economics and business and engaged in discussions on international experiences.
Tengiz Verulava, a Professor at Caucasus University and Director of the Institute of Healthcare Policy, delivered a report titled “Challenges of Hospital Anti-Crisis Process Management.” He spoke about the need for emergency disaster preparedness plans to enable hospitals to provide effective medical services, and also presented the results of a study assessing the preparedness of hospitals for disasters to the audience.
Due to its strategic geographical location, the South Caucasus and Georgia are regarded as a volatile region prone to military conflicts. The study revealed that hospitals in the area are equipped to provide full perimeter monitoring during emergencies, take defense and security measures, and maintain adequate oxygen supplies. Technical and engineering personnel are available 24 hours a day. Hospitals have an emergency management plan.
However, a significant part of the respondents has not been trained in disaster management exercises. Only half of the respondents (52%) indicated that there is a hospital emergency/disaster preparedness committee, which does not frequently hold regular meetings. The emergency/disaster committee of the hospital is not multidisciplinary and does not include qualified individuals from various directions. Often, hospitals face challenges in monitoring planned patients discharged during catastrophic situations, and critical case stress management is not sufficiently integrated into their emergency plans. The study indicated a moderate level of crisis and disaster preparedness in hospitals, with an average score of 56.57%. To address these gaps, it is recommended that hospitals implement specific changes to enhance their preparedness for crises and disasters.
