Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Health care Management, School of Public Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
2 AJUMS
3 Physics and Materials Science Research Unit, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Abstract
Backgrounds: The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is highly heterogeneous, with significant implications for crisis management. Our purpose is to assess how policies in responding to COVID-19 formulated, implemented and evaluated.
Methods: This research is an in-depth qualitative study conducted through semi-structured interviews with 31 experts from January to April 2021. This study focused on all involved stakeholders who had responsibility in response to the COVID-19 in the province. The purposeful sampling method was employed and continued until reaching data saturation. We drew on several related theories, frameworks, and concepts to guide the process of data analysis. Data was analyzed using content analysis.
Results: The findings provide significant insight to address critical measures regarding contextual factors, policy content, and role of key actors, policy process. contextual factors had a dual role (facilitator and inhibitor) in policy making against COVID-19. The main policy content of responding to the pandemic in the province, was adding hospital beds, opening army hospitals, agreeing with private hospitals to use ten percent of their capacity, using the empty capacity of hotels for patients in recovery stages, using the capacity of charity donation volunteer forces and medical students, deploying health workers on short-term contracts to work in selected 16-hour COVID centers, training programs of nurses to work in intensive care units (ICUs), launching coronavirus diagnostic laboratories. Our results showed that situational factors, governance structure, decision-making elements, and the level of power and influence of coalitions have played a determinant role in the effectiveness of policy measures.
Conclusions: Investing on infrastructure and integration among different health service providers is the cornerstone to deal with any pandemics. We conclude by identifying understudied aspects of the policy sciences that deserve attention in the pandemic’s aftermath.
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