Optimum Location of Field Hospitals for COVID-19: A Nonlinear Binary Metaheuristic Algorithm

Abstract

Determining the optimum location of facilities is critical in many fields, particularly in healthcare. This study proposes the application of a suitable location model for field hospitals during the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The used model is the most appropriate among the three most common location models utilized to solve healthcare problems (the set covering model, the maximal covering model, and the P-median model). The proposed nonlinear binary constrained model is a slight modification of the maximal covering model with a set of nonlinear constraints. The model is used to determine the optimum location of field hospitals for COVID-19 risk reduction. The designed mathematical model and the solution method are used to deploy field hospitals in eight governorates in Upper Egypt. In this case study, a discrete binary gaining-sharing knowledge-based optimization (DBGSK) algorithm is proposed. The DBGSK algorithm is based on how humans acquire and share knowledge throughout their life. The DBGSK algorithm mainly depends on two junior and senior binary stages. These two stages enable DBGSK to explore and exploit the search space efficiently and effectively, and thus it can solve problems in binary space.

Strategies, challenges and opportunities in the implementation of COVID-19 field hospitals: a scoping review

“…25 Additionally, one study described the use of a location model in determining the optimum location of COVID-19 field hospitals. 36 Nurses' vital contribution throughout the pandemic earned them social acclaim and improved their public image. 35 Field hospital implementation requires enough people, tight coordination, frequent communication, leadership and planning.…”

“…32 The staff might also have experienced stress when the total number of patients cared for increased, resulting in added demand to optimise system efficiency. 36 Moreover, acquiring adequate supplies was challenging as there were shortages in certain necessary items across the country. The need for scrubs and Open access constant PPE use, medication shortages, poor medical equipment and limited medical supplies were among the concerns during field hospital operations 25 28 and might have affected care services delivery.…”

Study on the Localization of Fangcang Shelter Hospitals During Pandemic Outbreaks

“…Akpinar et al ( 33 ) applied the fuzzy Choquet integral multicriteria decision-making technique to determine the most suitable location for a COVID-19 field hospital to be constructed in Izmir, Turkey. Hassan et al ( 34 ) proposed a variant of the maximal coverage location model to establish field hospitals for the COVID-19 problem, and the objective was to maximize the number of patients covered by the field hospitals.…”

UAV-Aided Data Acquisition Using Gaining-Sharing Knowledge Optimization Algorithm

“…Gaining-Sharing Knowledge algorithm (GSK) is a nature inspired algorithm based on human behavior, and how a single individual can share knowledge and learn from the others. Introduced in [19], GSK has been applied in several optimization problems as feature selection [24][25][26], scheduling problems [27][28][29], maximal covering model [30], parameter extraction of photovoltaic models [31] and combinatorial optimization problems as knapsack [32], travelling salesman problem [33], travelling advisor problem [34], and transportation problem [35].…”