Experience of the surgical team in COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.

Abstract

Objective: To analyse experience of the surgical team in COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. Study Design: Analytical Observational study. Setting: Department of Surgery, Tertiary Care Hospital Sialkot, Pakistan. Period: March to September 2020. Material & Methods: After the permission of ethical review committee (ERC/12/2020), data was collected by all four groups surgeons, Resident and internees, paramedical staff and other staff of surgical teams. A simple, 6 question-questionnaire, manually typed, was distributed to all members willing to complete and return the questionnaire. Data was analyzed by using SPSS-23. Results: Majority (91.27%) of the surgical team members got satisfactory training to handle with Covid-19 Cases. The 80 % was in fear to contract the disease while working in isolation and COVID-19 wards and about (76%) were well adjusted to their newly assigned duties. About 85% of surgical team members experienced prolong duty hours (12 hours a day) related stress and similar percentage participated in the management of surgeries done during this period. Conclusion: Surgical Team participated and adapted to meet the newly assigned duties to lookafter the isolation and COVID-19 wards. Team members experienced stress and fear of contracting disease was a matter of concern. However, it has taken care of all trauma, life-threatening emergencies and oncological cases adhering to use of principles of use of PPEs.