Development of an index to assess Covid-19 hospital care installed capacity in the 450 Brazilian Health Regions

Objective: We assessed the Brazilian health system9s ability to respond to the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic considering hospital capacity in the 450 Health Regions of the country in 2020. Hospital capacity referred to the availability of hospital beds, equipment, and human resources. Methods: Data came from National Register of Health Facilities on the availability of Covid-19 resources in inpatient facilities from January to December,2020. Assessed resources were health professionals, hospital beds, and medical equipment. A synthetic indicator, Installed Capacity Index (ICI) was calculated using Principal Component Analysis. Results: There was an increase in all selected indicators between January and December 2020. We observed differences between the Northeast, North regions, and the other regions of the country. Most Health Regions presented low ICI. The ICI increased especially in regions with considerably high baseline capacity in January 2020. The Northeast and North had a higher concentration of low ICI regions. Conclusion: The information here provided may be used by health authorities, providers, and managers in planning and adjusting for future Covid-19 care and in dimensioning the adequate supply of hospital beds, health care professionals, and devices in Health Regions to reduce associated morbidity and mortality.