Designing a Mobile Eye Hospital to Support Health Systems in Resource-Scarce Environments

McMaster, David; Clare, Gerry

Abstract

Eye health is an integral part of well-being that may be at increased risk when health service delivery is affected by sudden-onset disasters, complex humanitarian events, or conflict in resource-scarce environments. This study proposes a design plan for a mobile eye hospital to support health systems between the initial emergency response and recovery of health infrastructure in resource-scarce environments of low- and middle-income countries. The facility benefits from high mobility and modularity, it can be assembled and operated by minimal personnel, and easily expanded as necessary. It has capacity to host high-volume ophthalmological services without the logistical complexity of large-scale emergency medical team responses or military operations. The design provides a medium-term service that can either operate from a fixed location or be redeployed in-country with ease. Mobile eye hospitals may provide a useful facility for local governments suffering damaged health systems, or as a way to complement current eye health provision. The design may also be used by charitable nongovernmental organizations during an initial emergency response, with the ability to quickly deploy to a target location and establish eye services.

Citation

McMaster, D., & Clare, G. (2022). Designing a Mobile Eye Hospital to Support Health Systems in Resource-Scarce Environments. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 16(4), 1618-1622. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2021.108

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 31, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 14, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 3, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 29, 2021
• Journal: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
• Print ISSN: 1935-7893
• Electronic ISSN: 1938-744X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1618-1622
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2021.108
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5623602
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/disaster-medicine-and-public-health-preparedness/article/abs/designing-a-mobile-eye-hospital-to-support-health-systems-in-resourcescarce-environments/84638C45266F84E3E9DBAE617069932C