AOHC Encore 2023-413 The Importance of Hospitals' Collaboration for Pandemic Preparedness

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Diana Rahmi and Dr. Karine Saar discuss their project focused on hospitals' collaboration for pandemic preparedness in Lebanon. The project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development and aimed to transmit the expertise of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) to remote hospitals across the country. The project involved assessing the hospitals' level of preparedness, providing training on COVID-19 preparedness, and delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) and other needed equipment. The training covered topics such as infection control practices, COVID-19 nursing practices, and occupational risk assessment. The project also included a vaccination campaign, with the AUBMC acting as a vaccination site and partnering with other hospitals to increase outreach. The project had a positive impact, with assessments showing improvements in hospitals' preparedness and positive feedback from healthcare workers. Despite the challenges caused by the August 2020 Beirut explosion and the economic crisis in Lebanon, the project was successful in increasing collaboration, improving patient outcomes, and decreasing transmission by distributing COVID-19 cases across the country. The project was a collaboration between the AUBMC and the Lebanese Ministry of Health, and was supported by USAID and its partners.

Keywords

hospitals collaboration

pandemic preparedness

Lebanon

United States Agency for International Development

American University of Beirut Medical Center

COVID-19 training

vaccination campaign

positive impact