TY - JOUR
T1 - Essential healthcare services in the face of COVID-19 prevention: experiences from a referral hospital in Ethiopia
AU - Abdela, Seid Getahun
AU - Berhanu, Abel Balcha
AU - Ferede, Leul Mesfin
AU - van Griensven, Johan
N1 - FTX; (CC BY 4.0)
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Globally, healthcare systems are facing the enormous challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethiopia is currently implementing different preventive measures to interrupt the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The early effect of these preventive measures on essential healthcare service delivery is unknown. In this study, we looked at the number of essential healthcare visits over 8 weeks, 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the implementation of preventive measures. During the implementation of these measures, patient flow decreased in all elements of essential healthcare service. The decline was dramatic for family planning (98%), emergency surgery (77%), and follow-up of chronic surgical conditions (70%). An understanding of the reasons behind the decrease in patient flow is urgently needed to design ways of sustaining essential care.
AB - Globally, healthcare systems are facing the enormous challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethiopia is currently implementing different preventive measures to interrupt the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The early effect of these preventive measures on essential healthcare service delivery is unknown. In this study, we looked at the number of essential healthcare visits over 8 weeks, 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the implementation of preventive measures. During the implementation of these measures, patient flow decreased in all elements of essential healthcare service. The decline was dramatic for family planning (98%), emergency surgery (77%), and follow-up of chronic surgical conditions (70%). An understanding of the reasons behind the decrease in patient flow is urgently needed to design ways of sustaining essential care.
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0464
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0464
M3 - A1: Web of Science-article
C2 - 32762799
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 103
SP - 1198
EP - 1200
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 3
ER -