ABSTRACT
The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to great changes in the functioning of modern societies, not just in the medical dimension. The perception of the health care system and its employees has also changed. The aim of the article is to analyze the approach of public authorities to combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and Poland. The research material was information available on the website of the European Observatory of Health Systems and Policies (EOHSP) in a special section dedicated to issues related to the prevention of coronavirus pandemic (https://www.covid19healthsystem.org/mainpage.aspx). The obtained results indicate that the crisis situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced all countries to undertake diversified, non-standard efforts, i.e. the use of their own pharmaceutical sector for the production of disinfectants or acceleration of obtaining licenses by medical practitioners. In terms of financing one of activity was generation of additional funds for healthcare systems that were financially heavily burdened in the pandemic era.
ABSTRACT
Health workers have been at the forefront of treating and caring for patients with COVID-19. They were often under immense pressure to care for severely ill patients with a new disease, under strict hygiene conditions and with lockdown measures creating practical barriers to working. In this article we consider measures that countries have put in place to support health workers and enable them to do their job. We show that countries have implemented a range of measures, from mental health support, financial bonuses and practical support such as free accommodation and transport. The effectiveness of these initiatives should be evaluated to inform future crisis responses and strategies for health workforce development.