PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

A national survey of hospital readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

  • Dimie Ogoina,
  • Dalhat Mahmood,
  • Abisoye Sunday Oyeyemi,
  • Ogochukwu Chinedum Okoye,
  • Vivian Kwaghe,
  • Zayaid Habib,
  • Uche Unigwe,
  • Michael Onyebuchi Iroezindu,
  • Musa Abubakar Garbati,
  • Stella Rotifa,
  • Olukemi Adekanmbi,
  • Iliyasu Garba,
  • Farouq Muhammad Dayyab,
  • Sanusi Mohammed Ibrahim,
  • Ibrahim Musa Kida,
  • Adamu Adamu,
  • Datonye Alasia,
  • Sati Klein Awang,
  • John Oghenevwirhe Ohaju-Obodo,
  • Rabi Usman,
  • Yahaya Mohammed,
  • Ayanfe Omololu,
  • Ekaete Alice Tobin,
  • Sylvanus Okogbenin,
  • Danny Asogun,
  • Iraoyah Kelly,
  • Bala Waziri,
  • Aliyu Mamman Nauzo,
  • Yusuf Jibrin,
  • Abdulrazaq Garba Habib

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257567
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 9
p. e0257567

Abstract

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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to overwhelm health systems across the globe. We aimed to assess the readiness of hospitals in Nigeria to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.MethodBetween April and October 2020, hospital representatives completed a modified World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 hospital readiness checklist consisting of 13 components and 124 indicators. Readiness scores were classified as adequate (score ≥80%), moderate (score 50-79.9%) and not ready (score ResultsAmong 20 (17 tertiary and three secondary) hospitals from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, readiness score ranged from 28.2% to 88.7% (median 68.4%), and only three (15%) hospitals had adequate readiness. There was a median of 15 isolation beds, four ICU beds and four ventilators per hospital, but over 45% of hospitals established isolation facilities and procured ventilators after the onset of COVID-19. Of the 13 readiness components, the lowest readiness scores were reported for surge capacity (61.1%), human resources (59.1%), staff welfare (50%) and availability of critical items (47.7%).ConclusionMost hospitals in Nigeria were not adequately prepared to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Current efforts to strengthen hospital preparedness should prioritize challenges related to surge capacity, critical care for COVID-19 patients, and staff welfare and protection.