|
| Domain | Challenges | Solutions |
|
| Water and electricity | Lack of running water at some sites
Prolonged power outages at two sites | Patients and/or their attendants to provide 20 litres of water each
Using a generator (consider standby generators in future surgical camps) |
Inadequate number of anesthetists
No anesthetic machine | Predetermining personnel needs and secure personnel (anesthetists) beforehand |
|
| Sterilization and supplies | Limited capacity to sterilize (due to inadequate number of autoclaves), power outages, and inadequate linen supplies
Drugs and surgical sundries were in short supply | Better projections and resource mobilization for future camps
Considering hiring autoclaves
Contact nearby hospitals to participate and share |
|
| Equipment and instruments | Equipment and instruments were limited (surgical sets, anesthesia equipment)
There was a concurrent ophthalmology camp going on
We had only one oxygen source | Doing better projections, hiring equipment and instruments
Considering portable oxygen supply |
|
| Human resource | Several patients with gynecological conditions came yet we had no gynecologists
Operating theater condition: some were very old, dilapidated
Few staff in the theater to help in coordination and patient flow
Inadequate postoperative nursing manpower
One of the team members fell sick | Including gynecologists in future camps
Instituting quality assurance and safety guidelines and agreeing on the minimum standards
Getting required personnel to commit before the camp begins |
|
| Demand for service | Overwhelming number of cases
Some pediatric cases could not be worked on | Planning triage days before the camp begins and generating manageable operating lists |
|
| Technical operative difficulties | Giant hydroceles and hernias that had stayed for over 10 years were a challenge, with no intensive care unit (ICU) facilities | Triage and referral to better facilitated centers
Allocating “difficulty” cases to the experienced surgeons
Priority was given to children, the elderly, and those whose conditions greatly affecting the quality of life
Mainly cases which need minimal postoperative nursing care were done |
|
| Others | Only a handful presented for preoperative screening
Due to limited working space, privacy could not be observed all the time
Inadequate linen | Encouraging preoperative screening in future camps
Procuring tents as a way of availing more working space
Getting more linen |
|
