Ebola Preparedness and Response in Liberian and US

HospitalsJosh Mugele, MD

Financial Disclosures: I am employed by IU Health (Methodist Hospital) and Indiana University and contract with the Indiana State Department of Health.

Preparedness

Resilience

Image From Emory University

Lessons learned in Liberia

• Lockdown difficult due to space limitations, citizen cooperation

• Poor infection control baseline knowledge• Inflexible/bureaucratic structure

necessitated by lack of resources• Poor relationship with MOH• Challenges implementing screening

protocols• Strong provider/individual resilience

Lessons learned in Indiana

• Lack of sense of urgency• Poor communication with CDC and Health

Department• Challenging implementing screening

protocols• Focus on PPE, less regard for other

aspects of preparedness• Less individual resilience among providers

Summary Comparison

• Liberia: lack of resources, but good individual resilience

• Indiana: focus on supplies and resources, lack of urgency and individual resilience