The COVID-19-designated hospitals in China: preparing for public health emergencies

The designated hospitals are another health approach besides Fangcang shelter hospitals and newly built temporary hospitals for responding to COVID-19 epidemic in China. Faced with the emergency situation, about 1512 hospitals from 363 cities have been designated in China to tackle the spread of COVID-19. They were local hospitals repurposed by the Chinese government as a regional public health response. Their comprehensive services mainly include: “fever-clinics” to screen patients, COVID-19 department for higher-levels of medical care, and makeshift wards for emergencies. As the only COVID-19 designated hospital in Shanghai, we documented three characters (Centralized response and action system, Comprehensive functions, Closed-Loop Management System) and three strategies (Resource allocation, Prevention of nosocomial infection, Management during the post-COVID-19 pandemic stage) from the experience in responding to COVID-19 pandemic. Lastly, learning the lessons from COVID-19 pandemic, a more efficacy and rapid national response to public health emergencies is required. Serving as an essential component of public health system, the COVID-19-designated hospitals should be always prepared for future emergencies.