Challenges in setting up Congenital Heart Disease programs in resource poor countries: Lack of resources is not the only impediment.

Publication date: Available online 24 October 2019Source: Current Medicine Research and PracticeAuthor(s): Akhlaque Nabi BhatAbstract:Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is emerging as an important cause of mortality from non-communicable diseases in Resource Poor Countries (RPCs). CHD is a resource intensive specialty; therefore, the expensive western model of care is unsustainable in poor countries. Stakeholders in RPCs must constantly innovate to build programs within their own resources to achieve good results. Centers of excellence in developed countries have achieved consistently good results by putting huge emphasis on creating a “culture of safety” around their patients. This is important because whenever safety culture is sidelined or ignored even in these high technology and resource intensive centers the results are poor and, in some instances catastrophic. RPCs do not have fiscal resources to match the technologically advanced programs of the developed nations nor can they afford high maintenance manpower investments. This review suggests that building a “culture of safety” within a CHD service is not dependent on fiscal resources but on the commitment within its leadership to build it.
Source: Current Medicine Research and Practice - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research