Surgical safety
in the capital. We were fortunate that after a great deal of quick thinking, local students were released from care responsibilities at the teaching hospital, as well as local district hospitals. We ended up with 16 delegates who were a delight to educate and who posed some interesting questions for us to answer – such as how they can sterilise cheatles, ready for collecting swabs from the drums! Since drums have not been used in the UK since the 1950s, we had to work on principles rather than experience.
A further aspect which received comments
in the evaluations was health and safety of the workforce. They were surprised and delighted that we cared about their health. Our five-day programme has a whole day that concentrates on personal health and safety of the individual and covers chemical sterilants, blood borne disease, manual handling (focused on lifting heavy patients and instrument trays), and appropriate hand hygiene and antisepsis, as well as stress and bullying. Every delegate receives eye protection as a result of a kind donation by a medical device company – which helps to protect from blood borne disease. Much of the rest of the week is focused on patient protocols for safe care, patient safety and infection prevention, as well as teamwork and accountability.
Conclusion As a small UK based charity, we will continue to deliver perioperative education to African Nurses wherever or whenever we are able, and to continue to raise the funds to do so. We run quarterly webinars for everyone and hold specific sessions with some countries, such
A study reporting on the people and facilities for Uganda identified that there was a total of 107 general surgeons, 97 specialty surgeons, 124 obstetricians/gynaecologists (OB/GYNs), and 17 anaesthesiologists in Uganda, for a rate of one surgeon per 100,000 people.
as Ghana. We have online education and send on a regular basis to our Clinical Ambassadors, articles of interest for them to circulate to their networks. The internet has enabled us to include African nurses as lecturers on our webinars and we welcome their support. Africa has moved on a great deal in the twenty plus years since we first delivered education to nurses in Africa. However, with the data showing how many healthcare workers are short across the continent, it is difficult to imagine how we may do any more than scratch the surface of need. However, it provides plenty of motivation to learn more, read more and to deliver more.
CSJ
To find out more about Friends of African Nursing, visit:
http://www.foan.org.uk/
References 1. Linden A, Sekidde F, Galakunde M et al, Challenges of surgery in developing countries: a survey of surgical and anaesthesia capacity in Uganda’s public hospitals. Accessed at World J Surg. 2012 May;36(5):1056-1065. https://
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22402968/
2. Luboga S, Macfarlane S, von Schreeb J, Kruk
M, et al, 2009. Increasing access to surgical services in sub-Saharan Africa: priorities for national and international agencies. PLoS Med. Accessed at
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2791210/
3. Farmer P. World Bank Blogs. Dispelling myths about surgery’s role in global health. 2015 Accessed at:
https://blogs.worldbank.org/ en/health/dispelling-myths-about-surgery- s-role-global-health
4. World Bank Surgery could save millions of lives in developing countries. Accessed at
https://www.worldbank. org/en/news/feature/2015/03/26/ surgery-could-save-millions-of-lives-in- developing-countries#:~:text=A%20new%20 book%2C%20%E2%80%9CEssential%20 Surgery%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20 greater%20access,the%20most%20cost- effective%20health%20interventions%20 in%20developing%20countries.
5. Quote from Dr. Matshidiso Moeti , WHO Regional Director for Africa. Cited in news report. Accessed at
https://www.afro.who. int/news/chronic-staff-shortfalls-stifle- africas-health-systems-who-study
6. Cossa M, Rose J, Berndtson A et al, Assessment of surgical care provided in Mozambique. 2021, World Jour Surg. Accessed at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC8530447/pdf/ nihms-1724346.pdf
7. Ahmat A, Okoroafor S, Kazanga I, et al 2022 The health workforce status in the WHO African region: findings of a cross-sectional study. Accessed at:
https://gh.bmj.com/ content/bmjgh/7/Suppl_1/e008317.full.pdf
8. Mukamuhirwa D, Omondi L, Vedaste B, et al, 2022. Prevalence of Surgical Site Infection among Adult Patients at a rural district hospital in Southern Province, Rwanda. Rwanda Jou med Health Science. Accessed at https://
www.ajol.info/
index.php/rjmhs/article/ view/224057#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20 of%20SSI%20was%208.2%25%2C%20and%20 most,value%3D0.014%29.%20Conclusion%20 The%20prevalence%20of%20SSI%20was%20 8.2%25.
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