Maintenance of Preparedness

The medical management of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases (HHCD) will suddenly become important during public health emergencies of international concern but will receive little attention in between those events. It is very important to use those times to maintain and improve the level of preparedness and adjust it to advances in the field. The infrastructure provided needs to be regularly adjusted but also requires intensive maintenance. Every high-level isolation unit (HLIU) needs to plan individually and very precisely what kind of equipment, materials and medications need to be stockpiled and in what amount, in order to be able to provide adequate care. Providing HLIU treatment is a highly qualified and differentiated task, and training efforts should provide a multidisciplinary HLIU team with an intricate training schedule. The medical and psychological aspects of occupational health and safety need to be addressed as well in order to maintain preparedness.