Surgical Care and COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has added a huge strain on health care resources globally. For the developing world and low-to-middle income countries (LMIC), the burden has been even greater. Patients with COVID-19 require proper isolation and treatment. However, patients with other medical and surgical conditions should not be denied emergency treatment. While elective surgeries may be deferred, emergency surgeries should not wait. Therefore, hospitals should have a well-defined plan to allocate their resources judiciously, at the same time ensuring a safe ecosystem for health care workers and patients. Triage of patients attending the emergency department can ensure better delivery of health care in a resource-constrained set up. Based on our experience, we have formulated an algorithm for management of surgical emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidelines from various surgical societies were referred to, and modified according to the needs and constraints of a LMIC.