Preparedness of governmental hospitals for COVID 19 prevention and care in Eastern Amhara region, Amhara Ethiopia, 2020.
Birhanu Desu, Lehulu Tilahun, Mulusew Zeleke
PMID 35834917WHAT IT FOUND
More than half of the hospitals assessed were unprepared for COVID-19 prevention and care.
Critical gaps included insufficient oxygen supply, lack of trained isolation room personnel, and missing infection control protocols for staff and patients.
Key findings
01Over half of the hospitals were not prepared to prevent and treat COVID-19 for their staff and the surrounding community.
02Nearly two-thirds of hospitals lacked an adequate oxygen supply, and isolation rooms were often unsuitable for oxygen sources.
03Triage personnel in half of the hospitals were not trained to rapidly isolate confirmed or suspected cases.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, providing a snapshot of preparedness at a single time point without establishing causality or tracking improvements. Data collection relied on self-reported information from administrators and observations by nurses, which may introduce bias. The sample was restricted to governmental hospitals in one region of Ethiopia, limiting generalizability to private facilities or other countries. The definition of 'preparedness' was based on a composite score with a median cut-off, which may not capture the nuanced severity of individual gaps.
Declared interests
The research was sponsored by Wollo University. The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that hospital policies equate to clinical safety or capability. The study found that while some protocols existed, critical resources like oxygen, PPE, and trained staff were frequently missing, meaning patients and nurses remained at high risk despite any stated readiness.