COVID-19 rapid response in a limited resource setting (notes from the field): Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

COVID-19 has impacted health systems globally with varying impacts across regions. In Zimbabwe, a country with perennial problems of shortage of healthcare workers and resources, the pandemic has caused substantial strain on the public health system. The ability to share experiences on what has worked and what has not can be valuable as scientists, policymakers, and others determine steps forward and reflect backward to determine lessons learned in the pandemic response. We describe the setup and function of a COVID-19 rapid response team in the context of a limited resource setting. The response had to be tailored to make maximal use of the resources available and manage the outbreak. In this article, we share notes from the field and discuss the process of setting up a rapid response protocol in a limited resource provincial hospital, the challenges encountered, improvised interventions and recommendations for managing a COVID-19 resurgence and future similar pandemics.