Perioperative Mortality Rate in a Low-Resource Non-governmental Organisation Setting

Introduction A significant portion of the global population lacks access to safe and affordable surgical and anaesthesia care, with the majority of those affected residing in low- and middle-income countries. As a low-middle-income country and one of the most populated nations, India faces substantial challenges in addressing this healthcare gap. We aimed to descriptively assess the perioperative mortality rate (POMR) of a low-resource non-governmental organisation hospital in India and assess the preparedness of surgical services. Methodology We performed a retrospective study by collecting the surgical volume from the operation theatre registry. All recorded deaths about surgery during the timeframe of data collection and investigated each death. We have also assessed the hospital's preparedness for surgical services. Results The operation theatre registry recorded 1,860 patients over five years who underwent major operations. The perioperative mortality was three (0.16%). The case mix done under obstetrics and gynaecology was 1,046 (56.2%), general surgery at 614 (33.0%), and orthopaedics at 200 (10.8%). After adjustment, we found that our average surgical volume per year was 448 (95% CI: 391.52-504.96). Emergency surgeries had a relative risk of 1.9 (95% CI: 0.172-20.87) higher than elective surgeries. Our situational analysis of surgical preparedness shows that Vivekananda Memorial Hospital (VMH) is a well-prepared hospital to provide 32 out of 42 essential surgeries, as described by the Disease Control Priorities. This hospital fulfilled the infrastructure and equipment required for an ideal 100-bed hospital, except for having a blood bank. Conclusion In a low-resource non-governmental organisation setting such as VMH, POMR can meet global standards. Surgical care is accessible and affordable to the poorest of the population.