Iran’s Experience in Establishing Convalescent Care Facilities for Patients With COVID-19

• Published in: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. e34 - e35
• Main Authors: Maher, Ali, Bahadori, Mohammadkarim, Ravangard, Ramin, Zaboli, Rouhollah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.06.2020
• Subjects: Conflicts of interest; Convalescence; Coronavirus Infections - complications; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Dementia disorders; Disease transmission; Epidemics; Health care policy; Hospitals; Humans; Hypoxia; Iran - epidemiology; Letter to the Editor; Mental disorders; Mental health; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pandemics - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Performance management; Pneumonia, Viral - complications; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Recovery (Medical); Skilled Nursing Facilities - organization & administration; Skilled Nursing Facilities - trends; Special Section: COVID-19; Iran; Covid-19; Iran; convalescent care; facilities
• ISSN: 1935-7893; 1938-744X
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2020.209

The health care system in Iran consists of 4 levels: the first level, which includes health houses and health posts; the second level, which consists of comprehensive health centers and clinics; the third level, which includes public hospitals; and the fourth level, which consists of specialty and subspecialty hospitals.Reference Bahadori, Shams and Sadeghifar5 In epidemics, another level of services is designed and operated, the convalescent centers, which is placed between the second and third levels of the service delivery system. The Islamic Republic of Iran Army established a 2000-bed convalescent center in less than 24 hours at the Tehran International Exhibition Center. [...]the Iran Mall, one of the biggest shopping malls in the world, established a convalescent center with 3000 beds in 5 working days, so that in the first stage, 50 intensive care unit beds and 150 beds equipped with oxygen therapy equipment were used. Delirium caused by hypoxia, one of the important clinical features of COVID-19, can complicate the dementia. [...]in the convalescent centers, a protocol on how to provide mental health services should be developed.Reference Morrisey, Sloan and Valvona3 The convalescent center is a good opportunity for the cooperation of volunteer forces in the epidemic.