Managing Post-Disaster Primary Health Care: Experiences of Public Health Professionals After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake.
International journal of public health, cilt.70, ss.1608363, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 70
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/ijph.2025.1608363
- Dergi Adı: International journal of public health
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, BIOSIS, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1608363
- Anahtar Kelimeler: earthquake, disaster management, primary health care, public health professionals, public health services
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Abstract
Objectives:
To explore the post-earthquake experiences and perspectives of public health specialists, with a particular focus on the delivery of public health services following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake.
Methods:
This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach, aiming to capture lived experiences and contextual understanding of the situation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 public health specialists. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically using multiple coding by the research team.
Results:
Public health specialists reported experiencing stress, burnout, and housing difficulties due to increased workloads and suboptimal working conditions, despite also expressing a sense of professional fulfillment in crisis management. Key challenges included problems in temporary housing, infectious disease control, and insufficient coordination in primary healthcare services and community-based approaches. Poor coordination, vague job roles, and inadequate training and resources were cited as significant barriers to effective disaster response.
Conclusion:
The main challenges following the earthquake included increased workloads and unclear role definitions. These findings underscore the importance of establishing pre-defined job descriptions and clear lines of authority to improve disaster preparedness and response in the health sector.