Assessing Barriers Faced by Surgeons While Providing Surgical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

• Main Authors: Majeed A, Hussain I, Imran I, Saleem MU, Saeed H, Abrar MA, Islam M, Hashmi FK, Akbar M, Ramzan B, Chaudhry MO, Ashraf W, Rasool MF
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2021-03-01
• Series: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
• Subjects: covid-19; ncov-2; surgeons; barriers.
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/assessing-barriers-faced-by-surgeons-while-providing-surgical-care-dur-peer-reviewed-article-JMDH

Abdul Majeed,1 Iltaf Hussain,1 Imran Imran,2 Muhammad Usman Saleem,3 Hamid Saeed,4 Muhammad Asad Abrar,1 Muhammad Islam,4 Furqan K Hashmi,4 Muqarrab Akbar,5 Basit Ramzan,6 Muhammad Omer Chaudhry,7 Waseem Ashraf,2 Muhammad F Rasool1 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; 2Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; 3Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; 4University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Allama Iqbal Campus, Lahore, Pakistan; 5Department of Political Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan; 6Al Shifa Pharmacy, Multan, Pakistan; 7School of Economics, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, PakistanCorrespondence: Muhammad F RasoolDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, PakistanTel [phone]Email [e-mail]: The COVID-19 pandemic is not only affecting public health, but it is also impairing the specialized surgical care services in the hospitals. The present study aimed to assess the barriers faced by the surgeons while performing surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted from September 10 to October 14, 2020. The study population consisted of surgeons practicing in Kpk, Pakistan. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 292, out of 543, surgeons participated in the study (response rate: 59.6%). The younger surgeons (25– 30 years) considered the lack of policies and practices regarding exposure to COVID-19 patients as a significant barrier to their practice. The surgeons practicing in private hospitals considered themselves at a higher risk while providing surgical care to the COVID-19 patients. The non-cooperation of the patients was the main barrier in delivering surgical care services.Conclusion and Recommendation: The current study highlighted the barriers to the surgeons while providing surgical care to patients in the current pandemic. The most pronounced barriers to the surgeons were the lack of policies regarding exposure to COVID-19 and practice and non-cooperation of the patient. To address these barriers, it is recommended that health regulatory agencies of Pakistan should implement strict infection control practices to ensure the safety of surgeons and allied healthcare staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: COVID-19, nCoV-2, surgeons, barriers