Surgical and anaesthetic capacity of hospitals in Malawi: key insights

Jaymie Ang Henry; Erica Frenkel; Eric Borgstein; Nyengo Mkandawire; Cyril Goddia

doi:10.1093/heapol/czu102

Surgical and anaesthetic capacity of hospitals in Malawi: key insights

Health Policy Plan. 2015 Oct;30(8):985-94. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czu102. Epub 2014 Sep 26.

Authors

Jaymie Ang Henry¹, Erica Frenkel², Eric Borgstein³, Nyengo Mkandawire⁴, Cyril Goddia²

Affiliations

¹ International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi jaymie.henry@gmail.com.
² International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
³ International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
⁴ International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi International Collaboration for Essential Surgery (ICES), New York, NY, USA, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA, Gradian Health Systems, New York, NY, USA, Department of Surgery, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi, Faculty of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and School of Anaesthesia, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

Abstract

Background: Surgery is increasingly recognized as an important driver for health systems strengthening, especially in developing countries. To facilitate quality improvement initiatives, baseline knowledge of capacity for surgical, anaesthetic, emergency and obstetric care is critical. In partnership with the Malawi Ministry of Health, we quantified government hospitals' surgical capacity through workforce, infrastructure and health service delivery components.

Methods: From November 2012 to January 2013, we surveyed district and mission hospital administrators and clinical staff onsite using a modified version of the Personnel, Infrastructure, Procedures, Equipment and Supplies (PIPES) tool from Surgeons OverSeas. We calculated percentage of facilities demonstrating adequacy of the assessed components, surgical case rates, operating theatre density and surgical workforce density.

Results: Twenty-seven government hospitals were surveyed (90% of the district hospitals, all central hospitals). Of the surgical workforce surveyed (n = 370), 92.7% were non-surgeons and 77% were clinical officers (COs). Of the 109 anaesthesia providers, 95.4% were non-physician anaesthetists (anaesthesia COs or ACOs). Non-surgeons and ACOs were the only providers of surgical services and anaesthetic services in 85% and 88.9% of hospitals, respectively. No specialists served the district hospitals. All of the hospitals experienced periods without external electricity. Most did not always have a functioning generator (78.3% district, 25% central) or running water (82.6%, 50%). None of the district hospitals had an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Cricothyroidotomy, bowel resection and cholecystectomy were not done in over two-thirds of hospitals. Every hospital provided general anaesthesia but some did not always have a functioning anaesthesia machine (52.2%, 50%). Surgical rate, operating theatre density and surgical workforce density per 100 000 population was 289.48-747.38 procedures, 0.98 and 5.41 and 3.68 surgical providers, respectively.

Conclusion: COs form the backbone of Malawi's surgical and anaesthetic workforce and should be supported with improvements in infrastructure as well as training and mentorship by specialist surgeons and anaesthetists.

Keywords: Anaesthesia; Malawi; clinical officers; global health; global surgery; surgery; surgical burden; surgical capacity; surgical care.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anesthetics / supply & distribution*
Delivery of Health Care / statistics & numerical data
Health Resources / supply & distribution*
Hospitals / statistics & numerical data*
Malawi
Surgeons / supply & distribution*

Substances

Anesthetics