Health in Emergencies and Disasters Quarterly
Volume:7 Issue: 3, Spring 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect healthcare systems worldwide. Developed and underdeveloped countries continue to strive toward sustainable health policies that will help contain the spread and, at the same time, manage the patients. Global policy initiatives since the confirmation of the outbreak are guided by the recommendations from the World Health Organization. Countries, states, and territories develop domestic policies based on their capacities and resources. This study aims to provide insight into Ghana’s health policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study is a narrative review of literature in which data were extracted from electronic databases such as Embase, PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science that published research articles on the initial policy response to COVID-19 in Ghana. A concurrent relative search was also conducted on the websites of the Ghana Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to aggregate and synthesize existing policies enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic within the first year of the outbreak.

Ghana’s health policy response to COVID-19 was proactive and reactive. Policy changes occurred when cases started emerging in Ghana. The focus of health policy was mainly to preserve lives. Policy implementation was a collaborative effort between public and private organizations.

The government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, has remained at the forefront of providing policy directions to the Ghanaian people in the fight against COVID-19.

Sleepiness and the changes in vital signs affect the quality of work of hospital staff. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleepiness and physiological changes and vital signs in night shift workers in rehabilitation staff.

This study was a cross-sectional study performed on night shift personnel of Rafideh Hospital in Tehran City, Iran, in 2018. A questionnaire, including demographic information and the Stanford sleepiness scale, was used for data collection. The results were analyzed using repeated measures analysis in SPSS software v. 21.

The Mean±SD age of the participants was 38.23±5.96 years, comprising 33 men (64.7%) and 18 women (35.3%). Most personnel were married (72.5%) and non-smoker (82.4%). The amount of sleepiness increased significantly with increasing working time. Demographic characteristics had no significant association with sleepiness. However, there was a significant negative association between sleepiness and heart rate, and oral temperature. Blood pressure showed a decreasing trend with increasing working time until midnight. Also, an increase in blood pressure was recorded at 2 AM.

The findings of this study showed that sleepiness might have a significant association with vital signs in night work personnel. Hence, proper planning of shift work schedules and compatibility with physiological conditions might result in better working conditions for medical staff.

Today, the environmental crisis of pollution of water resources with municipal and industrial wastewater containing microplastic (MP) pollutants has become a global problem. Likewise, in Ardabil Province, Iran, municipal wastewater is discharged into the water of the River Qarasu and is the primary source of the MP pollution crisis.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the samples were taken from 5 stations in the Qarasu (Karkarq, Sarband, Anzab Sofla, Dolatabad, and Samian villages) under standard methods in 2020. The sample analysis and MP separation method were performed based on the density difference and digestion methodology. It was completed using stereo microscopy with a digital camera, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). 

Studies show that WWTPs (Wastewater Treatment Plants) are the primary sources of releasing MPs into the environment. In addition to threats to water resources, MPs are consumed and digested by aquatic organisms. As a result, MPs can affect human health, the environment, and the river’s living organisms.

The study results showed that MPs had been introduced into the River Qarasu ecosystem. MPs can have dangerous effects on the environment and living organisms and lead to an environmental crisis of water resources. Therefore, continuous river pollution monitoring is vital in the environmental crisis.

Nurses in emergency departments are exposed to stress and ethical issues due to the specific nature of their job. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to present a relationship between health anxiety and perceived stress with Moral distress and mediation of turmoil tolerance in emergency department nurses.

This descriptive correlational study was performed on 230 emergency nurses in Tehran in 1399 using available sampling method. In this study, the Cohen, Kamark and Marmelstein (1983) Perceived Stress Questionnaire, Salkowski and Warwick (2002), Simmons and Gahr (2005) Perturbation Tolerance, and Jamton's Moral Perturbation Questionnaire were used. Data analysis was performed by path analysis using SPSS-24 and Amos-24 software.

The findings of the study showed that perceived stress (t = 5.58) and health anxiety (t = 7.1) had a positive and direct effect on Moral distress and distress Tolerance(t = 8.33) on Moral distress. The effect is negative and direct (P <0.01). The results also showed that disturbance tolerance has a mediating role in the relationship between perceived fear and health anxiety with moral distress (P <0.01).

distress Tolerance mediates the relationship between perceived stress and health anxiety with Moral distress. The findings of this study can be used to improve the degree of distress Tolerance and improve the level of work ethic and reduce the Moral distress of emergency department nurses.

The emergency medical services system has a vital role in the timely treatment of victims and the reduction of injury and mortality rates. Ambulance response time is an essential variable in evaluating the quality of its services. The aim of this study was to determine the ambulance response time and to compare it according to background variables.

This descriptive study was conducted on ambulance emergency missions in Tabriz Emergency Medical Center. The data file related to the eligible missions in the server of the center was read and listened and ambulance response time and background variables were extracted and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The average ambulance response time was 11.58 (5.69) minutes and was long. The results showed there is a statistically significant relationship between ambulance response time and ambulance technical readiness, traffic conditions, accident time, and the educational level of ambulance personnel.

Compared to the standard value, the average ambulance response time in Tabriz Emergency Medical Center was longer. By recognizing the effective variables and taking the required actions, one can improve the ambulance response time and facilitate the medical services providing process in emergency conditions.

By explaining the reasons for non-compliance with the protocols of the National Anti-coronavirus Headquarters, we can help respond better, make better decisions, and control the risks and outcomes of coronavirus in the future. This study aimed to explain the reasons for the public’s non-compliance with the National Anti-coronavirus Headquarters measures from the perspective of academics.

The present qualitative study uses a contractual content analysis approach. The study participants were 19 professors and experts of the University of Medical Sciences with the necessary and sufficient information and experience on the subject. A purposive sampling method with maximum diversity in characteristics such as age, gender, education, the field of study, and work experience was used to select the participants. The study data were obtained through semi-structured interviews until data saturation and analyzed simultaneously.

From the content analysis of the interviews, 5 main themes and 7 subthemes emerged: 1) normalization and simplification of coronavirus risk with 5 subthemes of learning weakness, inconsistency in received information, misperception of coronavirus, perceived harms due to the observance of protocols, and the impracticality of some policies and approvals of the National Anti-coronavirus Headquarters, 2) weak communication, trust and low acceptance of the people by the procedures of the Anti-coronavirus Headquarters, 3) lack of sufficient motivation in people to comply with, 4) family-cultural conditions with two subthemes of the emotionality of Iranian families and the received cultural sediments, and 5) weakness in supervision and compassion in the use of force.

The study results showed that from the point of view of academics, there are reasons for people not observing the recommendations of the National Anti-coronavirus Headquarters, which leads to more ineffective control of coronavirus and consequently human, economic, and social damages to the country. Given the importance of coronavirus control in promoting community health and prevention of this disease and its dangers, further understanding of the reasons for non-compliance with the procedures and recommendations of the National Anti-coronavirus Headquarters to plan and carry out effective interventions seem necessary.

Biological events, including epidemics, pandemics, and emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, have significant adverse consequences on human health. Hospitals have a major role in the management of outbreaks and mitigation of their consequences. During pandemics, health systems, especially hospitals, are affected. The current study aims to collect and analyze hospital lessons learned during the COVID-19 epidemic in Iran.

The study data were collected through document analysis, direct observation, and taking the opinions of an expert panel (including hospital chiefs, hospital managers, disaster committee managers, matrons, and other hospital staff) at hospitals involved with coronavirus patients. 

The practical measures performed in Iran hospitals included the development of the hospital incident command system, screening and triage, establishing a call center, patient and family management, personnel management, volunteers management, education, planning, safety, environmental health, dead patients management, sampling, food hygiene of staff and patients, coordination and cooperation, sharing information, home treatment and care, infection prevention, and control and isolation.

COVID-19 pandemic has significant adverse consequences on human health, hospital, and medical staff. During COVID-19, hospitals will face a high surge in suspected and confirmed patients. Therefore, hospitals should perform the proper measures to manage an emergency.