Training doctors and surgeons to meet the surgical needs of Africa

Abstract

An audit of the operations performed and the use of anaesthesia over one year at the University Teaching Hospital, two provincial hospitals, and five district or church hospitals in Zambia was carried out. The aim of the audit was to determine what proportion of operations required full surgical training and to collect information on which recommendations for training surgeons in central Africa could be based. Of the 21,245 operations performed, 18,401 (86.4%) were found not to be complex, and the procedures could be taught to non-surgeons. General anaesthesia was used often, but if more doctors were trained to give local and regional anaesthesia more necessary surgery could be performed.

PIP: Existing health services cannot meet the needs of people for operations in developing countries. Most people in developing countries live in rural areas, but the facilities for performing operations and the surgeons are concentrated in the cities. The question of who should be trained and how can the trainee best be prepared to perform the range of operations required in rural Africa is addressed in this investigation. A survey of operations was carried out in 4 church hospitals, 1 district hospital, 2 provincial hospitals, and the Universtiy Teaching Hospital in Zambia. The aim was to determine what proportion of operations required full surgical training and to collect information on which recommendations for training surgeons in central Africa could be based. Of the 21,245 operations performed, 18,401 (86.4%) were found not to be complex, and the procedures could be taught to non-surgeons. General anesthesia was used often, but if more doctors were trained to give local and regional anesthesia, more necessary surgery could be performed.