Barriers to Surgical Care at a Tertiary Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda

The disproportionate distribution of surgical resources across the globe has left many in low- and middle-income countries without proper care. Patients often have complex surgical problems that are worsened by delayed presentation. We aim to describe barriers to surgical care at a tertiary hospital...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of surgical research 2020-06, Vol.250, p.148-155
Main Authors: Dworkin, Myles, Cyuzuzo, Thierry, Hategekimana, Jean de Dieu, Katabogama, Jean, Ntirenganya, Faustin, Rickard, Jennifer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Delivery of health care
Global surgery
Referral and consultation
Rwanda
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Summary:The disproportionate distribution of surgical resources across the globe has left many in low- and middle-income countries without proper care. Patients often have complex surgical problems that are worsened by delayed presentation. We aim to describe barriers to surgical care at a tertiary hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. A prospective review of all patients undergoing general and orthopedic surgery was performed at a tertiary hospital in Rwanda. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their presurgical interactions with the health-care system. Over a 3-wk period, there were 24 (33%) general and 49 (67%) orthopedic surgery patients. Patients reported delays seeking care (n = 21, 29%), reaching care (n = 28, 38.5%), and receiving care (n = 44, 60%). The median number of days from first symptom to surgery was 7.3 d and was significantly longer for patients reporting at least 1 barrier to care (P 
ISSN:0022-4804
1095-8673
DOI:10.1016/j.jss.2019.12.045