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RESEARCH ARTICLE
COVID-19 and Surgical Preparedness

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Mohit Sharma , Priyanka Devgun 2

AbstrAct
Aim and objective: The rapid and large-scale spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major cause of concern for
healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine the preparedness of surgical specialty personals in managing surgery during
COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and methods: The present study was conducted online from May 5, 2020, to June 5, 2020, through a predesigned and pretested
questionnaire-based proforma on the preparedness of surgical practice related to COVID-19 infection circulated through Google Forms. The
participants selected were serving in Punjab and holding allopathic degrees in any of the surgical specialties. Exclusion criteria were responses
by nonsurgical specialists and incompletely filled proforma. A total of 412 responses were received, out of which 318 were valid responses in
terms of completeness of proforma. The data so collected were compiled and statistically analyzed by SPSS v.21 (IBM).
Results: Three-hundred and eighteen received responses were analyzed. Mean age was 42.3 ± 10 years. Male-to-female ratio was 2.38:1. Majority
of the respondents were from general surgery specialty 130 (40.8%). Two-hundred and thirty-eight respondents were from private sector and
80 from public sector. One-hundred and sixty-six (52.2%) respondents reported existence of standard protocols and triage for COVID-19 at their
workplace. Two-hundred and fourteen (67.2%) respondents stated that they usually get patients tested for COVID-19 before elective surgery.
Two-hundred and seventeen (68.2%) of the respondents reported checking out the correct sequence of donning and doffing the personal
protective equipment (PPE). Of the 170 respondents who had consumed hydrochloroquine as recommended by the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR), 114 (67%) were private practitioners and 56 (32.9%) were public healthcare sector professionals.
Conclusion: Surgical community need guidelines on how to deliver surgical services safely and successfully during COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 and Punjab, Healthcare professionals, Surgical workforce.
World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery (2021): 10.5005/jp-journals-10033-1466

IntroductIon 1 Department of Surgery, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences
The world has been reeling under the effects of coronavirus and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
disease-2019 (COVID-19) since the beginning of the year 2020—a year 2 Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of
which was to be a landmark year for achievement of multiple targets Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
of the sustainable development goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has Corresponding Author: Mohit Sharma, Department of Surgery, Sri
also shown us that the world is truly one, both in terms of the havoc Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar,
it has caused and in the solidarity the world has shown in combating Punjab, India, Phone: +91 9814651788, e-mail: drmohit.gis@gmail.com
the pandemic. It has demonstrated that the very basic principles of How to cite this article: Sharma M, Devgun P. COVID-19 and Surgical
primary healthcare are the only principles through which the end of Preparedness. World J Lap Surg 2021;14(3):186–190.
the pandemic can be sought. It has underlined the fact that no one Source of support: Nil
is safe until everyone is safe. Conflict of interest: None
Most of the world, including India, has been under repeated
episodes of partial or complete lockdown to contain the spread
of the pandemic while buying time to shore up their healthcare council as on June 30, 2020. No parallel figures were available for
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resources and healthcare infrastructure. While every effort was the private sector.
made during lockdowns to protect the smooth delivery of essential
services like health services, huge lapses were identified. This
paper is an attempt to quantify the gaps in the delivery of surgical MAterIAls And Methods
interventions and procedures during the lockdown period. The present study was conducted online from May 5, 2020, to June
India is a federation of 28 states and 8 union territories. Punjab 5, 2020, through a predesigned and pretested proforma circulated
is one of the states of India with a population of almost 2.7 crores through Google Forms. The participants selected were serving
as per the Census of India 2011. There is one doctor for every 789 in Punjab and were functional professionally in either public or
Punjabis, the ratio being one of the healthiest doctor–patient private healthcare sectors and holding allopathic degrees in any
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ratios in the country. There are 20 districts in Punjab where both of the surgical specialties. The purpose of the study was explained
the public sector and the private sector play a pivotal role in the to the participants, their consent was taken, and the confidentiality
delivery of healthcare services. There are 2076 medical institutions of the information was assured. Institutional ethical clearance
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in the state out of which 636 have broad specialities. There are was taken for the study. Exclusion criteria were responses by
51685 registered medical practitioners with Punjab state medical nonsurgical specialists and incompletely filled proforma. A total of

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