Mohammed Muze
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Bahredin Abdella
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abdilmejid Mustefa
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abas Ali
Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abdulfeta Abdo
Department of Political Science, College of Social Science and Humanities Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abas Lukman
Department of Political Science, College of Social Science and Humanities Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abdulfeta Shafi
Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Shukure Uomer
Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Yesufe Badege
Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abdulmejid Mutteba
Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Bayesa Tolasa
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Sister Hossae
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Sultan Shukur
Department of Mathematics, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Ebrahim Ahmed
Department of English, College of Social Science and Humanities, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abdu Kemal
Department of Physics, College of Natural and Computation Sciences, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Tadela Erena
Department of Agro Economics, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Werabe University, Worabe, Southern Ethiopia
Abstract
Introduction: recent infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19 highlights the importance of personal protective equipments and competent professionals on public health preparedness and response in health care systems. Hence, understanding availability of personal protective equipments and training status of health professionals is very important to fill the gap of COVID-19 preparedness and response. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess availability and adequacy of personal protective equipments and health professional's training status on COVID-19 in Silte zone, southern Ethiopia.
Methods: cross sectional study was conducted from August to October 2020 in Silte Zone. First four weredas from 13 were selected randomly. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 351 health professionals from 13 health facilities of selected weredas.
Results: overall, only 36.1% of the health professionals have received adequate training on COVID-19. About 30% of the health professionals had taken training on emergency plan of COVID-19, about 33% had been taught on COVID-19 treatment procedures. Majority 80.9% of the respondents indicated that personal protective equipments are inadequately available. Face masks, hand sanitizers and eye goggles were most scarce PPEs.
Conclusion: health professionals have been at the frontlines in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, challenges remain, such as limited availability of personal protection equipments and inadequate training of healthcare professions was identified by this study. Strengthening of training on COVID-19 and making PPEs adequately available were recommended.