General Surgery in COVID: Challenges of a Government Sector Tertiary Care Medical University in a Developing Country and Lessons Learnt

[摘要] Preserving resources and manpower is paramount in health care. It is important to ensure the ability of surgeons and specialized professionals to function through the pandemic. With one-sixth of world’s population residing in a single developing country, with public health care expenditure being less than 1.28% of the total country’s GDP and poor social protection, it seemed fighting a losing battle. However, a thoughtful and collaborative approach among leaders at every level has resulted in keeping the country afloat. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic underlines the importance of a mindful utilization of financial and human resources. Modifying international guidelines to fit the region-specific needs as per available resources is expected. This article is based on real-time challenges and experiences of a surgical department of a government medical university in planning and preparing clinical pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure high quality surgical care.

[学科分类] 工程和技术（综合）

[关键词] general surgery;COVID-19;developing;challenges;government