Availability of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers
in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic: A web based survey
Abstract
Aim of the study: The inception of the COVID-19 has put healthcare
workers (HCWs) in a precarious situation across the world. Despite the
challenges in Jordan, the high awareness and preparedness of HCWs made
it feasible for the country to control the contagious virus. COVID-19
has created a critical situation in the health sector for many countries
in the world. Healthcare workers (HCWs) include physicians, dentists,
nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians etc.; have provided the
front-line healthcare services facing challenges. The study aimed to
provide a useful insight into availability of Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) among HCWs in Jordan, which could help the
policy/decision makers of public health to design better programs based
on the information reported. Method: This cross-sectional online survey
was conducted during July 2020 for the evaluation of the availability of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among HCWs in Jordan. Result: A
total of 751 HCWs responded from different parts of the country, who
were actively working at different hospitals in Jordan. Most of the
participants (94%) had sufficient knowledge about COVID-19, and more
than two-thirds of participants (68%) reported that Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) were provided by Jordan ministry of health. The majority
(91%) of participants reported availability of medical face masks,
while only 26% reported having facial protective shields. Conclusion:
The study highlighted sufficient availability of personal protective
equipment (PPE) which could prevent exposure of the front-line health
workers from the high dose of virus as well as the best management of
Jordanian HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic. It is obvious that availability
and proper donning and doffing of the PPE is important for the safety of
the HCWs specifically in the pandemic settings. Keywords: Jordan,
COVID-19, healthcare workers, personal protective equipment