Situational Analysis of Essential Surgical Care Management in Iran Using the WHO Tool

BACKGROUND: Surgery is an essential component of health care, yet it has usually been overlooked in public health across the world. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to perform a situational analysis of essential surgical care management at district hospitals in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a descriptive and cross-sectional study performed at 42 first-referral district hospitals of Iran in 2013. The World Health Organization (WHO) Tool for the situational analysis of emergency and essential care was used for data collection in four domains of facilities and equipment, human resources, surgical interventions, and infrastructure. Data analysis was conducted using simple descriptive statistical methods. RESULTS: In this study, 100% of the studied hospitals had oxygen cylinders, running water, electricity, anesthesia machines, emergency departments, archives of medical records, and X-ray machines. In 100% of the surveyed hospitals, specialists in surgery, anesthesia, and obstetrics and gynecology were available as full-time staff. Life-saving procedures were performed in the majority of the hospitals. Among urgent procedures, neonatal surgeries were conducted in 14.3% of the hospitals. Regarding non-urgent procedures, acute burn management was conducted in 38.1% of the hospitals. Also, a few other procedures such as cricothyrotomy and foreign body removal were performed in 85.7% of the hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that suitable facilities and equipment, human resources, and infrastructure were available in the district hospitals in Iran. These findings showed that there is potential for the district hospitals to provide care in a wider spectrum.