Research Article: Geospatial mapping of 2-hour access to timely essential surgery in the Philippines
Abstract:
Objectives Timely access to safe and affordable surgery is essential for universal health coverage. To date, there are no studies evaluating 2-hour access to Bellwether procedures (caesarean section, laparotomy, open fracture management) in the Philippines. The objectives of this study were to measure the proportion of the population able to reach a Bellwether hospital within 2?hours in the Philippines and to identify areas in the country with the most surgically underserved populations. Methods All public hospitals with Bellwether capacities were identified from the Philippines Ministry of Health website. The service area tool in ArcGIS Pro was used to determine the population within a 2-hour drive time of a Bellwether facility. Finally, suitability modelling was conducted to identify potential future sites for a surgical facility that targets the most underserved regions in the Philippines. Results 428 Bellwether capable hospitals were identified. 85.1% of the population lived within 2?hours of one of these facilities. However, 6 regions had less than 80% of its population living within 2?hours of a Bellwether capable facility: Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao, Caraga and Mimaropa. Suitability analysis identified four regions—Caraga, Mimaropa, Calabarzon and Zamboanga—as ideal locations to build a new hospital with surgical capacity to improve access rates. Conclusion 85.1% of the population of the Philippines are able to reach Bellwether capable hospitals within 2?hours, with regional disparities in terms of access rates. However, other factors such as weather, traffic conditions, financial access, availability of 24-hour surgical services and access to motorised vehicles should also be taken into consideration, as they also affect actual access rates.
Introduction:
In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) proposed six core surgical indicators to monitor access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care. 1 They were developed to define, assess and inform surgical system preparedness, service delivery and cost efficiency. The first indicator measures the proportion of a country’s population that lives within 2?hours of a Bellwether capable facility, which can be determined through its provision of caesarean section, laparotomy and treatment of open…
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