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Planning for the next pandemic: Reflections on the early phase of the Australian COVID ‐19 public health response from the emergency department
Author(s) -
Govindasamy Laksmi Sakura,
Hsiao Kai Hsun,
Foong Lai Heng,
Judkins Simon
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.13799
Subject(s) - pandemic , public health , medicine , covid-19 , health care , emergency response , public relations , medical emergency , economic growth , disease , nursing , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , pathology
EDs play a crucial role as frontline health services throughout public health emergencies, including pandemics. The strength of the Australian public health response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has mitigated the impact of the pandemic on clinical services, but there has still been a substantial impact on EDs and the health system. We revisit major events and lessons from the first wave of COVID‐19 in Australia to consider the implications and avenues for system‐level improvements for future pandemic and public health emergency response for EDs. Notwithstanding, the remarkable efforts of healthcare workers across the health system, COVID‐19 has uncovered structural and planning challenges and highlighted weaknesses and strengths of the Australian federation. In anticipating future pandemics and other public health threats, particularly in the face of climate change, hard‐won lessons from the COVID‐19 response should be incorporated in future planning, policies, practice and advocacy.