Introduction: Managing healthcare service during pandemics and outbreaks is a challenging process. The aim is to keep patient safety as the priority, besides, continuing to provide essential healthcare services.
Methods: Situational audit was performed for the services rendered before and during COVID-19 pandemic and the elevation of the disease alert status, and a retrospective analysis of the attendance and procedures performed in the service.
Results: We present a methodology for performing a situational audit and generating service modification for hand and reconstructive microsurgery unit in a pandemic. There was no significant difference between the number of patients seen at outpatient clinics. However, there was a reduction in the numbers of total surgeries performed, with a 40% drop in the number of elective surgeries performed. There was also a reduction of cases seen in the emergency department hand clinic.
Discussion: COVID-19 pandemic is currently affecting not only the health service but also, other vital services all over the world. The pandemic puts significant challenges to acute surgical services in a hospital system involved in the management of the pandemic. Surgeons need to take proactive and a systematic approach in managing the available resources while maintaining essential surgical services. This paper provides the tools and methodology for doctors to plan their services in a pandemic situation.
Conclusions: It is possible to maintain essential surgical services in a pandemic situation through rapid situational audits and generating localised strategies while considering the constraints imposed during the pandemics while maintaining patient and staff safety.
Keywords: hand & wrist; infection control; infectious diseases; limb reconstruction; plastic & reconstructive surgery; respiratory infections.
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