Analysis of the current health emergency response capacity in Tianjin

Objective To learn the current capacity building of emergency response teams in Tianjin for the purpose of goals setting. Methods " Health Emergency Capacity Questionnaire" was issued to 89 secondary and above medical institutions and 19 CDCs in Tianjin. The form covered such items as basic institutional information, workforce makeup, emergency preparations, detection and early warning, emergency response, and summary/assessment. Data collected in the questionnaire were subject to descriptive and correlation analysis. Results Tianjin has scored an initial success in emergency medicine as evidenced in its emergency response mechanisms in place, elevated capacity in emergency medical rescue and disposal, and enhanced competence of emergency teams. Rooms of improvement however include insufficient professionalism and independence of health emergency, inadequate emergency commanding and decision making system functions, insufficient laboratory test capacity at district/county levels, and insufficient social involvement in health emergency. Conclusions Top-down design should be emphasized, health emergency response should be enhanced in terms of management and response planning system, while capacity building of the teams and long-term primary care emergency mechanism deserve higher attention. Key words: Tianjin; Health emergency response capacity; Public health emergency; Emergency medical rescue; Investigation