The National Emergency Medical Service Role During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sierra Leone. Issue 6 (22nd December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Caviglia, Marta; Buson, Riccardo; Pini, Sara; Jambai, Amara; Vandy, Matthew Jusu; Venturini, Francesco; Rosi, Paolo; Barone-Adesi, Francesco; Della Corte, Francesco; Ragazzoni, Luca; Putoto, Giovanni
• Is Part Of: Prehospital and disaster medicine. Volume 35:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 693
• Page End: 697
• Publication Date: 2020-12-22
• Subjects: COVID-19, -- Emergency Medical Services, -- prehospital care, -- Sierra Leone; Emergency medical services -- Periodicals; Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X20001211
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-023X

Abstract

Abstract: This report describes the main adaptive and transformative changes adopted by the brand-new National Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) to face the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Sierra Leone, including ambulance re-distribution, improvements in communication flow, implementation of ad-hoc procedures and trainings, and budget re-allocation. In a time-span of four months, 1, 170 COVID-19 cases have been handled by the NEMS through a parallel referral system, while efforts have been made to manage the routine emergencies of the country, causing a substantial intensification of daily activities.