Hospitals in Crisis: Review of Country Policy Solutions Through the Lens of System Resilience Analysis

The significant rise in natural disasters and the escalation of global conflicts and wars have heightened human vulnerability to crises and intensified their effects. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized the importance of adopting a resilience-focused policy to prepare health systems to withstand a broader range of future shocks. This study explores how hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia responded to crises by assessing their resilience capacities through the absorptive and adaptive framework. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed to identify relevant articles published between January 2020 and December 2024. The key search terms were crisis, disaster, hospitals, and the country name. Results: Initially, hospitals focused on preserving essential services during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over time, the healthcare system's resilience has improved through workforce training and preparedness, efficient resource management, and the implementation of digital health solutions for service delivery. Conclusion: Recognizing the global variations in health system responses to crises and resilience capacities is essential. Future research should investigate how countries have implemented health system resilience in their hospital preparedness and emergency response.