Disaster management in Türkiye: a qualitative study on healthcare professionals

Background Disasters pose complex challenges that extend beyond immediate emergency response, requiring well-coordinated, resilient, and health-centered disaster management systems. In disaster-prone countries such as Türkiye, understanding how health services, particularly specialized medical rescue teams, function in real disaster settings is critical for identifying systemic gaps and improving preparedness, coordination, and response capacity. The aim of this study is to examine the managerial and organizational challenges encountered in disaster management processes based on the experiences of UMKE personnel who have served during various disasters in Türkiye, and to derive implications for strengthening disaster preparedness and response capacity. Methods The study was conducted using a qualitative research design. In-depth interviews were carried out with healthcare professionals who participated in disaster response. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and the findings were categorized into five main themes: shortages of logistics and equipment; working conditions and training; social awareness; lack of coordination, communication, and organization; and institutional structure and local empowerment. Results The findings revealed that road damages hindered transportation and that alternative transportation plans were inadequate. Disaster training were not fully adapted to field conditions. Public disaster literacy was found to be low. Insufficient coordination and communication disrupted interventions. In addition, the study identified psychosocial support, community-based education, and institutional capacity building as critical components of effective disaster management. Conclusions This study was designed to capture the personal perspectives of healthcare professionals who directly confronted disasters and gained first-hand experience of related processes. Therefore, it provides a unique contribution by presenting a disaster management framework through the lens of healthcare professionals and by highlighting areas in need of improvement for policymakers in this field.