Concerns for low-resource countries, with under-prepared intensive care units, facing the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Healthcare Systems Research

Background:

• Low-resource countries face significant challenges in healthcare delivery due to fragile systems and shortages of trained professionals.
• Libya's healthcare system is further strained by socio-economic complications, including civil war and financial crises, impacting COVID-19 patient care.
• Limited access to specialized resources, such as mechanical ventilators, poses a critical threat during pandemics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the capacity and readiness of Libyan hospitals for COVID-19 patient hospitalization.
• To evaluate the availability of essential medical equipment, including mechanical ventilators.
• To determine the status of personal protective equipment (PPE) and training for healthcare workers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March 2020 across 16 leading Libyan hospitals.
• Hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity and readiness were evaluated.
• A survey of 400 doctors assessed the availability and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Main Results:

• Hospitals had a median of only eight functioning ICU beds and nine mechanical ventilators.
• None of the surveyed hospitals possessed a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machine for COVID-19 testing.
• Over 50% of hospitals lacked adequate PPE, and 70% of healthcare workers reported purchasing their own PPE due to insufficient hospital provision and training.

Conclusions:

• Libyan hospitals exhibit alarming unpreparedness for detecting and treating COVID-19 patients.
• Severe deficiencies in critical infrastructure, equipment, and PPE compromise the ability to manage the pandemic.
• Urgent interventions are required to strengthen healthcare capacity and improve pandemic preparedness in Libya.