Speaking up in resource-constrained settings: how to secure safe surgical care in the moment and in the future?

The provision of safe surgical care in low- and middle-income countries is challenging. Mortality and morbidity in the perioperative period are high and likely to rise as the burden of non-communicable diseases increases in these countries.1 Both access to, and quality of, surgical and perioperative care remain challenging in much of the world. In many African countries, for example, risk of mortality following surgery is around twice the global average, despite more favourable patient risk profiles in terms of age and acuity of condition.2 Resource deficiencies appear to be heavily implicated in these poorer outcomes, especially during postoperative care and for patients who would benefit from care and surveillance in intensive care facilities, which are scarce in low-income settings.3 However, as Mawuena and Mannion4 show in an article in this issue, resource limitations can have important impacts beyond their direct effect...

Source: BMJ Quality and Safety - August 18, 2022 Category: General Medicine Authors: Martin, G. P., Armstrong, N. Tags: Editorials Source Type: research