Surgical patients travel longer distances than non-surgical patients toreceive care at a rural hospital in Mozambique

Abstract

Background:Surgical care is increasingly recognised as an important component of global health delivery.However, there are still major gaps in knowledge related to access to surgical care in low-income countries. Inthis study, we compare distances travelled by surgical patients with patients seeking other medical services ata first-level hospital in rural Mozambique.Methods:Data were collected on all inpatients at Hospital Rural de Cho ́kwe`in rural Mozambique between20 June 2012 and 3 August 2012. Euclidean distances travelled by surgical versus non-surgical patientsusing coordinates of each patient’s city of residence were compared. Data were analysed using ArcGIS 10 andSTATA.Results:In total, 500 patients were included. Almost one-half (47.6%) lived in the city where the hospital isbased. By hospital ward, the majority (62.0%) of maternity patients came from within the hospital’s city com-pared with only 35.2% of surgical patients. The average distance travelled was longest for surgical patients(42 km) compared with an average of 17 km for patients on all other wards.Conclusions:Patients seeking surgical care at this first-level hospital travel farther than patients seeking otherservices. While other patients may have access to at community clinics, surgical patients depend more heavilyon the services available at first-level hospitals