Financial, Supplies, and Human Resource Preparedness in Management of Covid-19 Pandemic Among Dental Facilities in Nairobi County Kenya

<ns4:p>Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has put a strain on healthcare facilities worldwide. Dental facilities pose the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission because of the aerosol-generating procedures involved in dental practice. This study aimed to determine financial, supply, and human resource preparedness in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic among dental facilities in Nairobi County, Kenya. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach among 183 dental facilities in Nairobi County. Data were collected using the KoboCollect questionnaire and analyzed using MS Excel and SPSS version 26. The readiness of dental facilities was assessed using the ReadyScore Criteria. Qualitative data were collected through one-on-one interviews with key informants and analyzed thematically. Results Readyscore Criteria analysis showed that 39 (21.3%) of the evaluated dental facilities were considered "ready," while 133 (72.7%) and 11 (6%) were considered to have "work to do" and "not ready" for the pandemic. Bivariate analysis showed that the level of facilities (p&lt;0.001), presence of other departments (p&lt;0.001), funds sufficiency for COVID-19 emergency response (p=0.001), and clients attended per month (p=0.017) were statistically significant factors associated with pandemic preparedness scores. Regression analysis revealed that the presence of other departments among dental facilities was a significant predictor of readiness, with a 4.5 times higher likelihood of being ready for a pandemic (aOR 4.591; 1.471–14.327, p=0.009) compared to other facilities. Conclusions Support from healthcare authorities and capacity-building initiatives are recommended to enhance preparedness and resilience among dental facilities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.</ns4:p>