Pandemics arise when the infective agent escapes the control measures set up by the health authorities to contain it, leading to collapse of the healthcare system. The sudden influx of large numbers of sick individuals to health facilities stretches the systems’ capacity and resources, even more so and more noticeably where resources are already scarce. When an epidemic emerges and spreads, it inevitably draws most of health responders’ attention and monopolizes most of the health system’s human and financial resources, as well as medical products and technologies. People, efforts, and medical supplies all shift to respond to the emergency. This often leads to the neglect of basic and regular essential health services. People with health problems unrelated to the epidemic find it harder to get access to health care services. Some may die as a result, if the disruption overwhelms the health system. Mortality rates of other diseases for which people could not get treatment may rise. Furthermore, health care settings, and especially emergency rooms, can become hubs of transmission. Many people get infected there, if prevention and control measures are not properly implemented.
Because health care environments and emergency rooms are usually crowded, the lack of appropriate infection prevention and control, for example through triage, isolation, and other precautions, can be very significant. Health workers at the frontline of the response may themselves become infected and die. In countries where there are health staff shortages, the loss of several more health workers further weaken the health system.
