Pandemic Influenza Management and Control Policies: Hospital Coordination During an Influenza Pandemic

Since its initial outbreak in April 2009, the pandemic H1N1 virus has posed a challenge to health systems around the world, compelling them to make available the benefits of scientific and medical progress to the entire population. Some of the most significant demands were access to early diagnostics, vaccines, and antiviral treatments as well as the responsiveness of hospital care, particularly in seriously ill patients who required attention in intensive care units (ICUs). The increased demand of medical care during an influenza pandemic is a heavy burden for any health system as it is added to the regular demand for heath care, which should not become paralyzed [1].