The contribution of family physicians to surgical capacity at district hospitals in South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | The contribution of family physicians to surgical capacity at district hospitals in South Africa | |
| Creator | Hendriks, Hans Adeniji, Adeloye Jenkins, Louis Mash, Robert J. | |
| Description | The World Health Organization states that essential, cost-effective surgical care should be delivered at district hospitals. In South Africa significant skills gap exist at district hospitals, particularly in the area of surgery and anaesthesia. These small to moderate sized hospitals are too small to support a range of full time specialists even if they could be recruited and were cost-effective. Family physicians (FPs) are trained in the clinical skills required for district hospitals and primary health care. Clinical associates have also been introduced to perform procedures at district hospitals. This report illustrates the contribution of a FP to surgical care at Zithulele Hospital in the Eastern Cape. Family physicians not only bring the necessary clinical skills set but also increase the confidence and capacity of the whole team. Outreach and support by surgeons, as well as continuing professional development, are important. Surgical and anaesthetic skills must be developed together. Family physicians also bring leadership and clinical governance skills that ensure the inputs to support surgery, such as equipment and information systems are available. The contribution of FPs to surgery and district hospitals is overlooked in both policy and practice. Human resources for health policy should recognise their contribution and increase the numbers available and FP posts at district hospitals. There is also a need to update the package of emergency and essential surgical procedures in policy. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2021-10-27 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v13i1.3193 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 13, No 1 (2021); 3 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3193/5007
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3193/5008
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3193/5009
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3193/5010
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