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European countries' responses in ensuring sufficient physical infrastructure and workforce capacity during the first COVID-19 wave

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  • Winkelmann, Juliane
  • Webb, Erin
  • Williams, Gemma A.
  • Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina
  • Maier, Claudia B.
  • Panteli, Dimitra

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on health systems’ capacities. These capacities include physical infrastructure, such as bed capacities and medical equipment, and healthcare professionals. Based on information extracted from the COVID-19 Health System Reform Monitor, this paper analyses the strategies that 45 countries in Europe have taken to secure sufficient health care infrastructure and workforce capacities to tackle the crisis, focusing on the hospital sector. While pre-crisis capacities differed across countries, some strategies to boost surge capacity were very similar. All countries designated COVID-19 units and expanded hospital and ICU capacities. Additional staff were mobilised and the existing health workforce was redeployed to respond to the surge in demand for care. While procurement of personal protective equipment at the international and national levels proved difficult at the beginning due to global shortages, countries found innovative solutions to increase internal production and enacted temporary measures to mitigate shortages. The pandemic has shown that coordination mechanisms informed by real-time monitoring of available health care resources are a prerequisite for adaptive surge capacity in public health crises, and that closer cooperation between countries is essential to build resilient responses to COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Winkelmann, Juliane & Webb, Erin & Williams, Gemma A. & Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina & Maier, Claudia B. & Panteli, Dimitra, 2022. "European countries' responses in ensuring sufficient physical infrastructure and workforce capacity during the first COVID-19 wave," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(5), pages 362-372.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:126:y:2022:i:5:p:362-372
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.06.015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julia Köppen & Kimberly Hartl & Claudia B. Maier, 2021. "Health workforce response to Covid‐19: What pandemic preparedness planning and action at the federal and state levels in Germany?," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(S1), pages 71-91, May.
    2. Serikbayeva, Balzhan & Abdulla, Kanat & Oskenbayev, Yessengali, 2020. "State capacity in responding to COVID-19," MPRA Paper 101511, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha & Schroder-Bäck, Peter & Brand, Helmut, 2017. "The European Union Joint Procurement Agreement for cross-border health threats: what is the potential for this new mechanism of health system collaboration?," Health Economics, Policy and Law, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 43-59, January.
    4. Gaal, Peter & Velkey, Zita & Szerencses, Viktoria & Webb, Erin, 2021. "The 2020 reform of the employment status of Hungarian health workers: Will it eliminate informal payments and separate the public and private sectors from each other?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(7), pages 833-840.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yi-Tseng Tsai & Han-Chang Ku & Sujeewa Dilhani Maithreepala & Yi-Jing Tsai & Li-Fan Chen & Nai-Ying Ko & Sriyani Padmalatha Konara Mudiyanselage, 2022. "Higher Risk of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Risk Factors among Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Byrne, John-Paul & Humphries, Niamh & McMurray, Robert & Scotter, Cris, 2023. "COVID-19 and healthcare worker mental well-being: Comparative case studies on interventions in six countries," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    3. Changmin Tang & Xin Chen & Cuiling Guan & Pengqian Fang, 2022. "Attitudes and Response Capacities for Public Health Emergencies of Healthcare Workers in Primary Healthcare Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Investigation Conducted in Wuhan, China, in 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, September.
    4. Odgerel Chimed-Ochir & Jargalmaa Amarsanaa & Nader Ghotbi & Yui Yumiya & Ryoma Kayano & Frank Van Trimpont & Virginia Murray & Tatsuhiko Kubo, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 on Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management System: A Scoping Review of Healthcare Workforce Management in COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-25, July.
    5. Bandyopadhyay, Simanti & Kabiraj, Sujana & Majumder, Subrata, 2023. "Subnational governments and COVID management," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).

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