This archive report was first published on 16 May 2020.
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study has revealed that the crisis could lead to a staggering 28 million elective surgeries being cancelled globally.
According to the study, published in the British Journal of Surgery on May 16, 2020, each additional week of disruption to hospital services will be associated with a further 2.4 million cancellations.
Before the pandemic, it was estimated that hospitals across the country were conducting about 2,253 non-emergency surgeries on a weekly basis. However, with the suspension of elective surgeries in March, thousands of Kenyans in need of scheduled surgeries have been left waiting.
Dr. Louis Listwa, who chairs the Kenya society of anaesthesiologists, lamented that the new directive by the ministry to test for Covid-19 before admitting patients has further worsened the situation, with patients now fearing that a positive test will result in automatic isolation and increased costs.
“The hospitals' capacity has significantly reduced to between 30 and 35 per cent,” Dr. Listwa added.
According to the CovidSurg Collaborative projections, based on a three-month period of peak disruption to hospital services due to Covid-19, 28.4 million elective surgeries worldwide will be cancelled or postponed in 2020.
