Chen Hongwei, Hu Mengyuan, Chen Huiyao, Yang Juan, Yang Fan, Li Yahui, Pan Zhenzhen, Pan Qiming, Ju Huili, Zhu Lihong, Zhang Le, Zhang Haoyang
Department of Pediatric Laboratory, Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University (Wuxi Children's Hospital), Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
BMJ Paediatr Open. 2025 Jul 27;9(1):e003654. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003654.
The abrupt relaxation of COVID-19 control measures in China in December 2022 created acute pressures on paediatric healthcare services. We retrospectively evaluated patient visits, healthcare staffing and hospitalisation costs at Wuxi Children's Hospital, a tertiary paediatric centre. Despite over 40% staff absenteeism due to COVID-19, essential paediatric services remained operational through flexible staffing and workflow adaptations. Patient visits initially surged, particularly for respiratory diseases, but quickly stabilised. Hospitalisation expenses and inpatient stays significantly declined, highlighting the hospital's capacity for timely operational adaptation. These findings suggest that low-cost practical strategies increased healthcare resilience, without compromising patient care, during infectious disease surges in this urban Children's Hospital.
2022年12月中国突然放松新冠疫情防控措施,给儿科医疗服务带来了巨大压力。我们对一家三级儿科中心——无锡市儿童医院的患者就诊情况、医护人员配备和住院费用进行了回顾性评估。尽管因新冠疫情有超过40%的工作人员缺勤,但通过灵活调配人员和调整工作流程,基本儿科服务仍得以维持。患者就诊量起初激增,尤其是呼吸道疾病患者,但很快趋于稳定。住院费用和住院天数显著下降,凸显了医院及时进行运营调整的能力。这些研究结果表明,在这家城市儿童医院应对传染病激增期间,低成本的实用策略提高了医疗系统的韧性,同时并未影响患者护理质量。