Analysis of Pandemic Preparedness and Hospital Management Strategies

This report examines the preparedness of hospitals in managing and responding to pandemic outbreaks. It highlights the importance of both preventive measures and treatment strategies, emphasizing the need for hospitals to focus on the former to control the spread of infections. The report references the experience of the 1997 Influenza endemic and underscores the significance of having adequate resources, including trained healthcare professionals, medical equipment, and essential supplies like masks and gowns. It also stresses the need for hospitals to have sufficient bed capacity to accommodate affected patients. The report further analyzes the limitations of current preparedness strategies and suggests improvements to enhance the effectiveness of hospital management during a pandemic, advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes prevention as a critical component of the overall strategy.

Management of emerging pandemics
Facilities of the organization
The pandemic outbreak is a severe disaster which may lead to unpredictable consequences in
the country. Preparedness of hospital management has improved after the experience of
Influenza endemic in the year 1997 (Scarfone et al. 2011). According to the National
Pandemic Strategy, the hospital has to be aware of the mode of transmission to break the
chain of transmission. The hospital ensures that the patients affected by endemic diseases are
isolated. The health care professionals who are knowledgeable and skilful in handling the
infection are selected and engaged in the treatment of the patients. The medications,
precautionary materials like gloves, masks, goggles, and gowns are kept in stock to meet the
need for endemic. Hospital management ensures that adequate beds and medical equipment
are kept ready to treat the affected people.
Analysis of the management
The preparedness of the hospital can accommodate and treat only the limited population. The
hospital or the organization has to engage in implementing preventive measures. In case of
any endemic outbreak, prevention is the primary aspect that needs to be implemented. The
hospital or the organization has to do the preparation based on two factors (Niska, &
Shimizu, 2011). Prevention and treatment are the two important factors that the hospital
needs to be focused on. But most of the hospitals focus only on the treatment process and
ignore the importance of prevention. Slack down in the preventive measures can lead to the
state of unmanageable transmission of infection. The hospital, private and government
organizations need to focus on preventive measures rather than the treatment.

References
Niska, R. W., & Shimizu, I. (2011). Hospital preparedness for emergency response; United
States, 2008 https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/13180
Scarfone, R. J., Coffin, S., Fieldston, E. S., Falkowski, G., Cooney, M. G., & Grenfell, S.
(2011). Hospital-based pandemic influenza preparedness and response: strategies to
increase surge capacity. Pediatric emergency care, 27(6), 565-572
https://journals.lww.com/pec-online/Fulltext/2011/06000/Hospital_Based_Pandemic_
Influenza_Preparedness_and.24.aspx