Abstract
The long-term social and economic consequences of CoViD-19 are uncertain. But, how do we count the cost of a pandemic, including millions of deaths, reduced life expectancy, and long-lasting health impacts? The pandemic, undoubtedly, has put health systems under extreme stress. We have had to adapt to changing circumstances while continuing to provide high-quality health care. Countries across all socioeconomic and development categories have struggled to implement effective national responses. Despite all the challenges, the CoViD-19 emergency has provided opportunities in developing more resilient health systems.
The “Health Review”, holding open an invitation to healthcare decision-makers and CEOs of the European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM), shared content that responds to the pressing matters of 5 countries’ capacities to prevent, detect, respond, and ensure proactive, coordinated action to both existing and emerging public health threats. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our colleagues Nikolaus KOLLER (President of the Association of Austrian Hospital Managers), Prof. Pascal VERDONCK (Board member of the Belgian and European Association of Hospital Managers), Philippe BLUA (past President of the European Association of Hospital Managers), Marc HASTERT (Secretary General of the European Association of Hospital Managers, Luxembourg), and Xavier BARRETO (President of the Portuguese Association of Hospital Managers), who generously shared their time, experiences, and insights with us. Response strategies and a comparison of the different national prevention, control, and response strategies can pinpoint lessons that could help strengthen countries’ preparedness and reaction to future health challenges. Therefore, we explore the similarities and differences between the countries Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Portugal, adding the Greek experience, regarding the response to CoViD-19 and strategies to reset health systems.
