Surgical Skill, Providers and Infrastructure Needs Assessment in North Gondar, Ethiopia: A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

Background: The shortage of skilled surgical providers in Sub-Saharan Africa is reaching a crisis level.The Canadian Network for International Surgery has been delivering structured surgical skills courses in Ethiopia for 15 years. However, an assessment of met needs, and ongoing barriers to surgical care has never been done. Ethiopia has set out plans to expand surgical capacity at the district hospital levels through upgrading and building hospitals, and task shifting through a surgical health officer program. This study aimed to assess the met need for surgical infrastructure, providers, and educationin in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. Sub-objectives are to assess the perceived values of a structured surgical training courses, and to identify ongoing barriers to emergency surgery.