Abstract
Emergency Preparedness for Communicable Diseases in Public Hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Republic of Ghana
Highlights
Emergencies are unpredictable when they occur, they lead to immediate demand on public health resources
The study revealed that the facilities have emergency preparedness plans and teams for handling disease outbreaks and there were treatment protocols present on the walls in the facilities. 85% of communicable diseases diagnosed were isolated and treated at the facility, 12% was referred and 3% of the cases were treated and sent home. 87 % of respondents indicated that there were no separate and specific structures for admitting and treating communicable diseases Conclusion: Public hospitals are well prepared for any disease outbreak in the Kumasi Metropolis
Whilst Medical Officers, Physician Assistants, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, all categories of Nurses, Biomedical and Laboratory Scientists, and Disease Control Officers were included in the study, health workers and management team members who decline to be included in the study, Clinical care staff that had worked for less than six months during the time of data collection at the facility, nonclinical care workers and staff who were on leave at the time of the study were excluded
Summary
Emergencies are unpredictable when they occur, they lead to immediate demand on public health resources. The main goal of every health facility is to prevent or minimize the loss of lives during such occurrences [2] This can be done by health facilities formulating a comprehensive emergency plan in accordance with their manpower and infrastructural resources that will meet the demand of such occurrences. Objective: This study sought to investigate the emergency preparedness and how communicable diseases are managed in public hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study performed among health care workers in five public hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis using stratified random sampling technique. Results: The study revealed that the facilities have emergency preparedness plans and teams for handling disease outbreaks and there were treatment protocols present on the walls in the facilities. Results: The study revealed that the facilities have emergency preparedness plans and teams for handling disease outbreaks and there were treatment protocols present on the walls in the facilities. 85% of communicable diseases diagnosed were isolated and treated at the facility, 12% was referred and 3% of the cases were treated and sent home. 87 % of respondents indicated that there were no separate and specific structures for admitting and treating communicable diseases Conclusion: Public hospitals are well prepared for any disease outbreak in the Kumasi Metropolis
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