The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective
Objectives: Six billion people globally do not have access to cardiac surgical care. In this study, we aimed to describe state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia. Methods: Data on status of local cardiac surgery collected from surgeons and cardiac centers. Medical travel agents were interviewed about nu...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | JTCVS Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666273623000724 |
| _version_ | 1797796117636710400 |
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| author | Salem Argaw, MD, MPH Abraham Genetu, MD Dominique Vervoort, MD, MPH, MBA Fekede D. Agwar, MD |
| author_facet | Salem Argaw, MD, MPH Abraham Genetu, MD Dominique Vervoort, MD, MPH, MBA Fekede D. Agwar, MD |
| author_sort | Salem Argaw, MD, MPH |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Six billion people globally do not have access to cardiac surgical care. In this study, we aimed to describe state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia. Methods: Data on status of local cardiac surgery collected from surgeons and cardiac centers. Medical travel agents were interviewed about number of cardiac patients who were assisted to travel abroad for surgery. Historical data and number of patients treated by non-governmental organizations were collected via interviews and by accessing existing databases. Results: Patients access cardiac care via 3 avenues: mission-based, abroad referral, and care at local centers. Traditionally, the first 2 have been the main mode of access; however, since 2017, an entirely local team has begun performing heart surgery in the country. Currently, surgical cardiac care is provided at 4 local centers: a charity organization, a tertiary public hospital, and 2 for-profit centers. Procedures at the charity center are provided for free, whereas in others, patients mostly pay out of pocket. There are only 5 cardiac surgeons for 120 million people. More than 15,000 patients are on waitlist for surgery, mainly because of lack of consumables and limited numbers of centers and workforce. Conclusions: There is a change in the trend from non-governmental mission- and referral-based care toward care in local centers in Ethiopia. The local cardiac surgery workforce is growing but still insufficient. The number of procedures is limited with long wait lists due to limited workforce, infrastructure, and resources. All stakeholders should work on training more workforce, providing consumables, and creating feasible financing schemes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:28:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-507cabd3ea2d4885a5565fcce3e02df6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-2736 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:28:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JTCVS Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-507cabd3ea2d4885a5565fcce3e02df62023-06-25T04:43:43ZengElsevierJTCVS Open2666-27362023-06-0114261269The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspectiveSalem Argaw, MD, MPH0Abraham Genetu, MD1Dominique Vervoort, MD, MPH, MBA2Fekede D. Agwar, MD3Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IllDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Address for reprints: Abraham Genetu, MD, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 8977, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaCardiac Center Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaObjectives: Six billion people globally do not have access to cardiac surgical care. In this study, we aimed to describe state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia. Methods: Data on status of local cardiac surgery collected from surgeons and cardiac centers. Medical travel agents were interviewed about number of cardiac patients who were assisted to travel abroad for surgery. Historical data and number of patients treated by non-governmental organizations were collected via interviews and by accessing existing databases. Results: Patients access cardiac care via 3 avenues: mission-based, abroad referral, and care at local centers. Traditionally, the first 2 have been the main mode of access; however, since 2017, an entirely local team has begun performing heart surgery in the country. Currently, surgical cardiac care is provided at 4 local centers: a charity organization, a tertiary public hospital, and 2 for-profit centers. Procedures at the charity center are provided for free, whereas in others, patients mostly pay out of pocket. There are only 5 cardiac surgeons for 120 million people. More than 15,000 patients are on waitlist for surgery, mainly because of lack of consumables and limited numbers of centers and workforce. Conclusions: There is a change in the trend from non-governmental mission- and referral-based care toward care in local centers in Ethiopia. The local cardiac surgery workforce is growing but still insufficient. The number of procedures is limited with long wait lists due to limited workforce, infrastructure, and resources. All stakeholders should work on training more workforce, providing consumables, and creating feasible financing schemes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666273623000724cardiac surgeryglobal cardiac surgeryLMICaccess to cardiac surgerycardiac surgery workforce |
| spellingShingle | Salem Argaw, MD, MPH Abraham Genetu, MD Dominique Vervoort, MD, MPH, MBA Fekede D. Agwar, MD The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective JTCVS Open cardiac surgery global cardiac surgery LMIC access to cardiac surgery cardiac surgery workforce |
| title | The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective |
| title_full | The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective |
| title_fullStr | The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective |
| title_short | The state of cardiac surgery in EthiopiaCentral MessagePerspective |
| title_sort | state of cardiac surgery in ethiopiacentral messageperspective |
| topic | cardiac surgery global cardiac surgery LMIC access to cardiac surgery cardiac surgery workforce |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666273623000724 |
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