COVID-19 pandemic: A description of the readiness & response plan of a tertiary care center in Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) challenged even the most prepared healthcare systems. With the increasing influx of patients and exposure of healthcare workers, many countries faced issues related to healthcare system’s capacity and to access to healthcare. The safety of healthcare workers and their ability to continue to effectively manage influxes of patients with COVID-19 depends on the readiness of involved hospitals. Consequently, hospitals must adopt a multidisciplinary systematic approach to assess and improve preparedness and response plans to emerging diseases such as COVID-19. This review article describes the readiness and preparedness plan of a tertiary care center in Beirut Lebanon and summarizes key measures that allowed for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2020, American University of Beirut. All rights reserved.