TY - JOUR
T1 - Health systems approach to ensure quality and safety amid COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
AU - Pradhan, Nousheen Akber
AU - Feroz, Anam Shahil
AU - Shah, Syed Mairajuddin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Ensuring quality and safe care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic offers a challenge to already strained health systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Pakistan with less shock-absorbing capacities. There is a dearth of evidence on mechanisms to provide optimum quality care to COVID-19 patients in the resource-constrained healthcare environment. The lessons learned from the Ebola virus outbreak for the deficient health systems and quality improvement are considered to propose strengthening the health systems response to deliver quality-assured care to patients during the current pandemic. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) health systems framework can serve as a guiding principle towards providing quality-assured and safe healthcare services during the ongoing pandemic in Pakistan by ensuring the availability of an adequate workforce, medical supplies and equipment, strong governance, active information system, and adequate health financing to effectively manage COVID-19. Research evidence is needed to be better prepared for an effective and coordinated health systems response to offer quality and safe care to patients.
AB - Ensuring quality and safe care during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic offers a challenge to already strained health systems in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Pakistan with less shock-absorbing capacities. There is a dearth of evidence on mechanisms to provide optimum quality care to COVID-19 patients in the resource-constrained healthcare environment. The lessons learned from the Ebola virus outbreak for the deficient health systems and quality improvement are considered to propose strengthening the health systems response to deliver quality-assured care to patients during the current pandemic. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) health systems framework can serve as a guiding principle towards providing quality-assured and safe healthcare services during the ongoing pandemic in Pakistan by ensuring the availability of an adequate workforce, medical supplies and equipment, strong governance, active information system, and adequate health financing to effectively manage COVID-19. Research evidence is needed to be better prepared for an effective and coordinated health systems response to offer quality and safe care to patients.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - Health systems approach
KW - Quality of healthcare
KW - Safe care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100193058&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.29271/jcpsp.2021.Supp1.S38
DO - 10.29271/jcpsp.2021.Supp1.S38
M3 - Article
C2 - 33650424
AN - SCOPUS:85100193058
SN - 1022-386X
VL - 31
SP - S38-S41
JO - Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
JF - Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP
ER -