IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC CARE IN HAITIAN CLINICS AND HOSPITALS

P. Bertrand Elisma¹, M. Belfort Florville¹

Background: COVID-19 is proving to be a global health crisis and one of the greatest challenges faced in decades. To deal with it, the governors of the different countries have put in place measures against its spread: treatment and quarantine of affected people, confinement of the population, distancing social among others. In a vulnerable country like Haiti, very poor economic and health resources, where health care is difficult to access even in normal times and which, despite everything, had to put the population in confinement: a population incredulous in the face of the existence of the virus and very resistant to the protocol of restrictions and barriers put in place. The situation is all the more alarming than worrying, even more for the rehabilitation sector, which is a neglected area and very little valued. No protocol, no equipment available to continue working, panic attack of how to deal with patients, including the obligation for some clinics to close their doors. Because of these difficulties in the face of COVID-19, Haitian physiotherapists must behave accordingly when providing care during this time and have a solid and sustained understanding of these expectations. 

Purpose: Demonstrate and document the impact of COVID-19 on physiotherapeutic care in Haitian clinics and hospitals.

Methods: The research was carried out using qualitative exploratory approaches to better understand the repercussions of COVID-19 on physiotherapeutic care to Haitian clients, their consequences on administrative services and the protocols adopted during care.
Haitian physiotherapists working in clinics and hospitals, were invited and agreed to answer an online questionnaire with open and closed questions subsequently analyzed.

Results: Physiotherapists: (n = 19, without any experience in pandemic management (100%) were able to adapt to COVID-19 (60%) calmly (33%), without fear (20%). (25 %) prioritized the health and well-being of patients continuing to provide normal care (22%). Protection protocols established: appropriate equipment (35%), antiseptic cleaning (25%), prioritization of certain cases (12%) and certain services: outpatient (40%), home care (22%, tele-rehabilitation (15%). In compliance with the presidential decree (18%), for lack of protocol (25%), and fear of being contaminated and exposing patients (20%), others stopped taking care (55%) at the start / 5% permanently. Some urgent cases were referred to the functional centers (6%) or led to the use of telereadaptation (33%).

Conclusion(s): The results demonstrate a different inference from what the Haitian socio-economic situation reveals to us. Despite their lack of experience in a pandemic situation, the majority of Haitian physiotherapists have been able to adapt and establish protection protocols adapted to the reality of the country.
In conclusion, by the lack of knowledge of an adapted protocol in the face of a pandemic in a country in the midst of a socio-economic crisis, covid-19 has impacted the physiotherapeutic care in Haiti at first, However, did not prevent its normal recovery shortly after.

Implications: This study presents the repercussions of covid-19 on physiotherapeutic care in Haiti and the protection strategies put in place. This will help Haitian physiotherapists to better understand a future pandemic in an environment with poor health resources.

Funding, acknowledgements:  Thanks to Physical Therapists involved in this work, Haitian Society of Physical Therapy and Mario Pasquet, President of ASHATP

Keywords: Impact of covid-19, Physiotherapeutic care, Haitian clinics and hospitals

Topic: COVID-19

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Haitian Society of Physical Therapy (SoHaPh)

Committee: Haitian Society of Physical Therapy (SoHaPh)

Ethics number: 50944589131