What primary aspect should healthcare facilities focus on during a disaster?

Focusing on restoring functions to ensure patient care and staff safety is critical for healthcare facilities during a disaster. This priority stems from the primary mission of healthcare organizations: to provide care and ensure the wellbeing of patients and staff. When a disaster strikes, the immediate goal is to maintain or quickly resume healthcare services, which involve not just the physical infrastructure but also the availability of skilled personnel and essential medical supplies.

Restoring functions allows facilities to effectively address the urgent medical needs that arise in such situations, ensuring that patient care is uninterrupted and safety protocols are adhered to. Additionally, prioritizing staff safety is crucial, as a well-protected workforce is essential for the operational continuity of the facility and for delivering effective patient care.

In contrast, options that emphasize solely communication with external agencies, delaying response to gather information, or assessing financial impacts lack the immediacy required in disaster response. While these aspects are important and play a role in overall disaster management, they do not supersede the necessity of maintaining patient care and staff safety when lives are at stake.