Journal
DISASTER MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
Volume 16, Issue 6, Pages 2446-2452Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2021.117
Keywords
general hospital bed; ICU bed; Saudi Arabia; surge capacity
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This study assesses the surge capacity of hospital beds and ICU beds with a ventilator in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional 4372 hospital beds are needed if the pandemic continues for 6 months, while an additional 2192 or 1461 hospital beds are required for a 12- or 18-month period, respectively. The health system's capacity for ICU beds would suffer from a shortage of 1600, 797, and 540 beds under the three transmission scenarios.
Objectives: To assess the hospital beds and intensive care unit (ICU) beds with a ventilator surge capacity of the health system in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This study used relevant data from the National Health Emergency Operation Center to estimate general hospital and ICU bed surge capacity and tipping points under 3 distinct transmission scenarios. Results: The study results reveal that hospitals in the KSA need to be supplied with additional 4372 hospital beds to care for COVID-19 positive cases if the pandemic continues over a 6 months' period. At the same time, it requires additional 2192 or 1461 hospital beds if the pandemic persists over a 12- or 18-month period, respectively, to manage hospitalized COVID-19 overloads. The health system surge capacity would suffer from a shortage of 1600, 797, and 540 ICU beds under the 3 transmission scenarios to absorb critical and intensive care COVID-19 cases. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the urgent need for additional hospital and ICU beds in the face of critical COVID-19 cases in KSA. The study recommends further assessment measures to the health system surge capacity to keep the Saudi health system prepared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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