Perception, preparedness and response of health care personals towards COVID-19 pandemic in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan: A cross sectional interview based study

Abstract

Objective To assess the state of knowledge, perception, preparedness and satisfaction level of health care personals (HCPs) in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) towards COVID-19. Study design It was cross sectional survey conducted by personal interviews. Methodology The study was conducted by interviewing 302 HCPs from 7 major district headquarter hospitals of AJK from May to September 2020. The questionnaire included 29 questions about demography, perception, training, preparedness, knowledge and awareness of HCPs about COVID-19. The data was encoded and analyzed statistically. Results Majority of the respondents (78.5%) believed that corona-virus is a serious health threat. However, 10.6% perceived it as a bio-weapon and 4.3% as not dangerous. About 10% of doctors were not considering it very dangerous compared to 1% of paramedics and 2.5% of the supporting staff ( P = 0.003 ). About 55% of the respondents showed confidence of the steps taken by government for prevention of COVID-19 while 45% had an opposite view. More than 70% of the participants had no formal training and the ratio of trained personals was significantly higher ( 0.018 ) in paramedical staff (33%) than doctors (15%). About 53% of the respondents were not satisfied with the provision of PPEs and 64% were not satisfied with their work and wages situation. Majority of the respondents (97%) were observed to follow the protocols for personal protection. Conclusion Majority of HCPs perceive covid-19 as a serious health concern. However, most of the HCPs are neither well trained for the current pandemic nor fully satisfied about personal protection, work load, and wages.

Barriers to, and enablers of, paramedics responding to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases: An integrative review

“…However, none of these studies included Australian paramedics, although they did examine American emergency medical services (EMS) or EMTs experiences. Considering the service paramedics provide during public health emergencies, the unique challenges created by delivery of prehospital care in the context of a pandemic, and the lack of studies examining their experiences, more detailed information is required on the experiences of paramedics and EMTs and how to better support them in this situation [20] , [21] .…”

Empathy of Healthcare Professionals During Covid-19 Crisis

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