While human resources are essential to the health and long-term care sector, physical resources are also a key factor in the production of health services. How much a country invests in new health facilities, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, and information and communications technology (ICT) can have an important impact on the capacity of a health system to meet the healthcare needs of the population. The COVID‑19 crisis has shone a spotlight on some of the infrastructure challenges. Health systems, and hospitals in particular, were placed under immense strain. Some countries lacked the necessary physical resources to respond to the sudden influx of seriously ill COVID‑19 patients. Having sufficient equipment in intensive care units and other health settings helps to avoid potentially catastrophic delays in diagnosing and treating patients. Non-medical equipment is also important, notably the IT infrastructure needed to better monitor population health, both in acute situations and in the long term. Investing in capital equipment is therefore a prerequisite to strengthening overall health system resilience.