Five years ago, the world faced one of the greatest health crises in modern history. Since the WHO declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020, hospitals became the epicenter of an unprecedented battle: collapsing health systems, lack of resources, healthcare personnel at the limit and extreme pressure that tested the global response capacity.
Today, although the most critical phase is behind us and the pressure on hospitals has eased, the scars are still open. The pandemic left an indelible mark on hospital management, accelerating changes in infrastructure, protocols and medical technologies. In addition, the impact of long COVID continues to fill up surgeries, and the risk of new variants keeps health systems on alert.
Five years on, how has the hospital sector evolved? What lessons have healthcare professionals learned? This anniversary is an opportunity to analyze how the pandemic transformed healthcare and what challenges continue to shape the future of hospitals.
Impact on the hospital sector
The COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate and devastating impact on the hospital sector. Hospitals were forced to react quickly to the collapse of their facilities, with intensive care units (ICUs), operating theatres and emergency services completely saturated. To deal with this crisis, many hospitals had to adapt in extraordinary ways, expanding their capacities and redefining their care protocols.
This transformation also affected hospital equipment companies, which were forced to respond quickly to growing market demand. The need to supply high-quality medical equipment in record time drove an accelerated modernization of the sector. In this context, hospitals began to reinforce their infrastructures, including improvements in electrical safety, which had a direct impact on our work at ETKHO, where we adjusted our response capacity to guarantee the immediate delivery of projects adapted to the new demands.
One of the leading hospitals in Barcelona in this fight was the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. During a ceremony of recognition, the tireless work of the healthcare professionals who were on the front line during the pandemic was highlighted. The event was attended by Dr. Antoni Castells, the hospital’s care director and president of the COVID-19 Crisis Committee, and Fina Utrera, a patient who managed to overcome the disease after receiving care at the center.
“The management of COVID-19 has been a great lesson for all of us: as a society, we have learned that we are vulnerable and, at the same time, we have seen the importance of having a strong and well-integrated health system. As a hospital, we have seen that when we work together with respect, trust and generosity, we can face great challenges.”
_ Dr. Antoni Castells, Care Director of Hospital Clínic
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona has treated 15,924 patients, managed 16,273 emergencies and registered nearly 8,400 hospital admissions, of which approximately 2,000 patients required intensive care. These figures reflect not only the magnitude of the challenge, but also the strength and resilience of the hospital sector in the face of an unprecedented crisis.
On the other hand, at the Joan XIII University Hospital in Tarragona, the innovative Smart ICU project was developed, an advanced hospital facility that was designed and executed during the height of the pandemic. In this project, ETKHO played a fundamental role in the supply of specialized equipment in electrical safety and IT power systems adapted to the ICU and its new technological and operational demands of the hospital. The Smart ICU stands out for integrating key improvements, such as the division of the unit into clusters that allow different treatment areas to be sectorized, the incorporation of access sluices and the integration of air systems with variable pressures and high-flow renovations. These advances not only optimize operational efficiency, but also improve patient care by providing a more personalized care space focused on direct attention.
The incorporation of an innovative design, which includes individualized workspaces for nursing staff in each box, has made it possible to offer closer and higher quality care, facilitating direct visualization of patients and constant monitoring of their health status. Thanks to the integration of these advanced technologies, the Smart ICU has not only improved operability, but has also optimized resources and reduced the need for large nursing control spaces, allowing them to be redirected to other uses that enrich the hospital experience.
Smart UCI at Joan XIII University Hospital in Tarragona
These initiatives are clear examples of how the pandemic, although tragic, drove a technological transformation in hospitals, accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions and adapting to the new demands of safety, efficiency and patient care.
Impact on electrical safety infrastructure
One of the most critical challenges facing hospitals today, especially in the wake of the pandemic, is the condition of the electrical infrastructure, including both its quality and the age and maintenance of existing systems. Electrical safety has become a top priority, as any interruption or failure in the power supply can compromise the lives of patients and the functioning of vital medical equipment.
To guarantee a safe environment, it is essential that all installations, modifications and expansions are carried out under the supervision of qualified experts, with a design specifically adapted to the needs and requirements of the hospital environment. The electrical infrastructure must consider not only the redundancy of the energy sources, but also temperature regulation, protection against overloads and an efficient backup system.
These aspects must be considered from the planning and design phase, ensuring that hospitals are able to maintain a constant and reliable supply during emergencies, and can continue to operate without compromising patient care. In addition, it must be ensured that the infrastructure is sustainable, efficient and flexible, capable of adapting to future challenges and new demands, which will contribute to improving the hospital’s resilience in the face of any eventuality.
Lessons learned and challenges ahead
The key has been the need for health systems to adapt to a new reality. As the virus and its variants evolved, hospitals and healthcare infrastructures were forced to reconfigure their protocols and expand their capacities at unprecedented speed. This ability to adapt has been crucial, but it has also highlighted the need for more robust preparedness for future health emergencies. As we move beyond the most critical phase of the pandemic, it is imperative that countries continue to invest in strengthening their health systems, ensuring that they are better equipped to respond to new crises.
In addition, it is essential to ensure equitable access to medical resources, care and vaccines. The pandemic has shown that a resilient and equitable global health system is vital not only to overcome immediate crises, but also to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. The lessons learned must guide us in building a stronger and more cohesive health network, capable of addressing the needs of all countries, regardless of their economic development, and of rising to any challenge that may arise along the way.