Background: Health Centers, as the most involved organizations at the time of occurrence disasters, need to be considered more important than other parts of society from functional, structural and non-structural viewpoints. The objective of this research is identification of internal and external factors that affect non-structural and functional vulnerabilities of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Songhor township (Kermanshah province), and ranking them in order to determine the best strategy for reducing vulnerability against earthquake.

Method: This is a descriptive-analytical survey research which applies AHP-SWOT hybrid method. First internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external ones (opportunities and threats) were recognized by using SWOT model, and then these factors were weighted and ranked through applying AHP method in order for the best strategy to be find. Data gathered through literature review, observation, interview with the staff and applying questionnaire among the personnel.

Findings: According to the findings of this survey and the questionnaires distributed among the personnel in different sections of the hospital, several factors including warning system, drills, temporary housing facilities, staff training, and emergency evacuation were determined as the most important factors related to reducing vulnerabilities of the Hospital. About 95% of the respondents believed that an appropriate and effective warning system is necessary for hospital. 20% of the staff stated  that lack of training for  personnel for acting properly at the time of occurrence of earthquake, is the weak point of this hospital; while others mentioned problems related to “emergency evacuation in critical conditions” as the weak point.

Conclusion: Data analysis and prioritizing defined criteria related to seismic vulnerability of the said hospital demonstrated that external opportunities and internal weak points gained the highest score among the main four factors. Finally WO strategy (with a final score of 0.39) ranked first and was chosen as the best strategy; which means that through utilization of available external opportunities, internal weak points  will be eliminated or reduced. In this way, seismic vulnerability of the hospital will be reduced as well.