abstract: 'Introduction: the provision of quality health care during the COVID-19

  pandemic depends largely on the health of health care providers. Health

  care providers'' as frontline caregivers dealing with infected patients

  play a significant role in limiting the outbreak of the disease by

  implementing safety and prevention practices. However, low and middle

  -income countries experience barriers to preparedness due to limited

  resources. Methods: an institutional-based cross-sectional study was

  conducted among 326 health care providers'' from August 10-25, 2021 in

  Gurage zonal public hospitals. A simple random sampling technique was

  used to select the study participants. A pretested self-administered

  structured questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The data

  were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 and exported to Statistical package

  for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for analysis. Both

  descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were presented.

  Results: this study showed that 53.1\%, of health care providers'', had

  adequate preparation against COVID-19 pandemics. The finding showed that

  monthly income, occupation, and working experience were found to be

  significantly associated with health care providers'' preparedness.

  Nearly one-quarter (24.8\%), 28.3\%, 34.5\%, and 39.8\% of health care

  providers had access to facemasks, alcohol sanitizer, glove, and

  isolation gowns respectively. Conclusion: the levels of health care

  providers'' preparedness and health care protection against the third

  wave COVID-19 pandemic were found to be low. Based on our findings, the

  government and other stakeholders should design interventions to

  increase health care providers'' preparedness to respond to the ongoing

  pandemic and purchase an adequate supply of personal protective

  equipment to protect the health care providers.'
affiliation: 'GebreEyesus, FA (Corresponding Author), Wolkite Univ, Coll Med \& Hlth
  Sci, Dept Nursing, Wolkite, Ethiopia.

  GebreEyesus, Fisha Alebel; Geleta, Omega Tolessa; Shiferaw, Bisrat Zeleke; Tarekegn,
  Tadesse Tsehay; Amlak, Baye Tsegaye; Emeria, Mamo Solomon; Terefe, Tamene Fetene;
  Temere, Bogale Chekole; Mewahegn, Agerie Aynalem, Wolkite Univ, Coll Med \& Hlth
  Sci, Dept Nursing, Wolkite, Ethiopia.

  Jimma, Melkamu Senbeta, Assosa Univ, Coll Hlth Sci, Dept Nursing, Assosa, Ethiopia.

  Chanie, Ermias Sisay; Misganaw, Natnael Moges, Debre Tabor Univ, Coll Hlth Sci,
  Dept Pediat \& Neonatal Nursing, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.

  Degu, Fatuma Seid, Wollo Univ, Coll Med \& Hlth Sci, Dept Nursing, Wollo, Ethiopia.

  Eshetu, Menen Amare, Mizan Tepi Univ, Coll Med \& Hlth Sci, Dept Nursing, Mizan
  Tepi, Ethiopia.'
article-number: '53'
author: GebreEyesus, Fisha Alebel and Geleta, Omega Tolessa and Shiferaw, Bisrat Zeleke
  and Tarekegn, Tadesse Tsehay and Amlak, Baye Tsegaye and Emeria, Mamo Solomon and
  Terefe, Tamene Fetene and Temere, Bogale Chekole and Mewahegn, Agerie Aynalem and
  Jimma, Melkamu Senbeta and Chanie, Ermias Sisay and Misganaw, Natnael Moges and
  Degu, Fatuma Seid and Eshetu, Menen Amare
author-email: fishalebel@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: GebreEyesus
  given: Fisha Alebel
- family: Geleta
  given: Omega Tolessa
- family: Shiferaw
  given: Bisrat Zeleke
- family: Tarekegn
  given: Tadesse Tsehay
- family: Amlak
  given: Baye Tsegaye
- family: Emeria
  given: Mamo Solomon
- family: Terefe
  given: Tamene Fetene
- family: Temere
  given: Bogale Chekole
- family: Mewahegn
  given: Agerie Aynalem
- family: Jimma
  given: Melkamu Senbeta
- family: Chanie
  given: Ermias Sisay
- family: Misganaw
  given: Natnael Moges
- family: Degu
  given: Fatuma Seid
- family: Eshetu
  given: Menen Amare
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.11604/pamj.2023.44.53.31428
eissn: 1937-8688
files: []
journal: PAN AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL
keywords: 'Healthcare providers; health care workers; preparedness; COVID-19;

  Gurage'
keywords-plus: AWARENESS; KNOWLEDGE
language: English
month: JAN 26
number-of-cited-references: '59'
orcid-numbers: GebreEyesus, Fisha Alebel/0000-0001-7358-0577
papis_id: f961189f12cf5149e1de0e86a2845b23
ref: Gebreeyesus2023healthcare
researcherid-numbers: GebreEyesus, Fisha Alebel/AAH-7185-2021
times-cited: '0'
title: 'Health care providers? preparedness and health care protection against the
  third wave of COVID-19 pandemics in a resource-limited setting in Southwest Ethiopia:
  a multi-center cross-sectional study'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000971580700001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '0'
volume: '44'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2023'