Abstract
Planning for mass gatherings involves health system preparedness based on an understanding of natural and technological hazards identified through prior risk assessment. We present the expected hazards reported by health administrators of the host cities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and discuss the hazards considering minimal available public hospital beds in the 12 cities at the time of the event. Four different groups of respondents were interviewed: pharmaceutical service administrators and overall health administrators at both the municipal and hospital levels. The hospital bed occupancy rate was calculated, based on the Brazilian Health Informatics Department (DATASUS). The number of surplus beds was calculated using parameters from the literature regarding surge and mass casualty needs and number of unoccupied beds. In all groups, physical injuries ranked first, followed by emerging and endemic diseases. Baseline occupancy rates were high (95%CI: 0.93-2.19) in all 12 cities. Total shortage, considering all the cities, ranged from -47,670 (for surges) to -60,569 beds (for mass casualties). The study can contribute to discussions on mass-gathering preparedness.
Highlights
Mass gatherings are situations in which a large number of people come together for religious, sports, cultural, or political events 1
Our objective is to present and discuss the perceptions of health administrators in the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup regarding hazards, and to compare these perceptions with available public hospital infrastructure in these cities at the time of the event
The article presents expected hazards and outcomes reported by municipal health administrators, hospital directors, and municipal and hospital pharmaceutical services administrators in the 2014 FIFA World Cup host cities in Brazil
Summary
Mass gatherings are situations in which a large number of people come together for religious, sports, cultural, or political events 1. Healthcare must be involved throughout the health system’s operational planning, which in turn must be described in a comprehensive action plan. Mass events may differ widely in crowd sizes, type of attendance, and nature of the event (e.g., scheduled events at sports facilities, air shows, rock concerts, outdoor celebrations, and visits by dignitaries), but may be very similar as to the need for in-place capacity and healthcare provision. Preparedness for mass events is conducted in much the same way as for disasters: emergency response based on identification of hazards. Mass events provide a practical opportunity to enhance the level of disaster preparedness at the local, regional, and country levels [3,4]
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