ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Oct 2020
Universal access to safe, affordable, timely surgical and anaesthetic care in Papua New Guinea: the six global health indicators.
The unmet global burden of surgical disease is substantial. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) estimated that 5 billion people do not have access to safe, affordable and timely surgical care, with 80% of those without access living in low- and middle-income countries. The Milne Bay Province (pop 331 000) of Papua New Guinea, with an archipelago of islands up to 750 km from its capital, Alotau, has only one hospital capable of performing Caesarean Section, Emergency Laparotomy and managing an open fracture, the three Bellwether procedures. This paper aims to report the six Lancet Commission on Global Surgery metrics for Milne Bay Province. ⋯ Milne Bay Province can perform surgery safely, but there is limited access to timely surgical care when needed with a significant proportion put at financial risk by requiring it.