BACKGROUND To explore the hypothesis that sight restoring cataract surgery provided to impoverished rural communities will improve not only visual acuity and vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) but also poverty and social status. METHODS Participants were recruited at outreach camps in Tamil Nadu, South India, and underwent free routine manual small incision cataract surgery (SICS) with in...

Numbers of caesarean sections, inguinal hernia repairs, and operations for strangulated hernia performed in 1979-81 at 10 rural hospitals in eastern Africa were matched against estimated populations in the respective catchment areas. Annual rates of each operation varied considerably between hospitals, the averages being: for caesarean sections 25 per 100 000 per year; for inguinal hernia repai...

The quality of surgical care in rural hospitals is important, as surgery remains a critical component of rural health care systems. Current models for surgical quality assessment and improvement largely reflect the characteristics of larger urban hospital settings, which include proximity to other providers for peer review, higher procedure volumes to accurately assess outcomes, and greater fin...

INTRODUCTION The rate of cholecystectomy in northwestern Ontario is double the provincial rate. This paper explores the demographics of cholecystectomy and the role for rural endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) services in the central part of this region. METHODS We conducted a literature review of ERCP services and cholecystectomy rates, as well as a hospital chart review o...

AIM To determine profiles of non-chlamydia conjunctival bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility from adults who underwent trachomatous trichiasis surgery in rural areas of Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural districts in West Gojjam administrative zone. Conjunctival swabs were collected during surgery and transported using Stuart transport br...

Despite a high burden of surgical disease, access to surgical services in low- and middle-income countries is often limited. In line with the World Health Organization's current focus on universal health coverage and equitable access to care, we examined how policies to expand access to surgery in rural Ethiopia would impact health, impoverishment and equity. An extended cost-effectiveness anal...

BACKGROUND Abdominal aortic aneurysms requiring surgical intervention are generally treated by endovascular means. Such procedures are not always offered in rural hospitals, possibly leaving patients underserved. We reviewed our experience initiating an endoaortic surgery program. METHODS A surgeon in a rural centre was credentialed to perform endovascular aortic aneurysm repair through colla...

INTRODUCTION Regional or state studies in the USA have documented shortages of rural physicians and other healthcare professionals that can impact on access to health services. The purpose of this study was to determine whether rural hospital chief executive officers (CEOs) in the USA report shortages of health professions and to obtain perceptions about factors influencing recruiting and reten...

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended physician to population ratio is 23:10,000. Kenya has a physician to population ratio of 1.8:10,000 and is among 57 countries listed as having a serious shortage of health workers. Approximately 52% of physicians work in urban areas, 6% in rural and 42% in peri-urban locations. This study explored factors influencing the choice of caree...