B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal; MediSurg Research, Darbhanga, India; Global Consortium of Medical Education and Research, Pune, India.
Division of Neurosurgery, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
World Neurosurg. 2024 Sep;189:108-117. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.05.168. Epub 2024 Jun 6.
Nigeria's neurosurgical field faces profound challenges, including a critically low neurosurgeon-to-patient ratio and significant migration of medical professionals to developed countries. High costs, low socioeconomic status, and the urban-centric location of neurosurgical centers impede access to care. Key barriers to service delivery include lack of manpower, insufficient emergency care, limited imaging modalities, inadequate operative equipment, and ineffective political and administrative policies. Neurotrauma is the primary reason for neurosurgical intervention but is poorly managed due to delayed access and insufficient guidelines. The neurosurgical education system is strained by limited training capacity and the absence of subspecializations, restricting specialized care. Research output is low, hindered by limited infrastructure, lack of databases, insufficient funding, and minimal international collaboration. To address these issues, it is critical to enhance the imaging capabilities, ensure the availability of operative equipment, and establish effective policies for task sharing and communication at different levels of care. Other approaches include expanding training capacity, particularly in rural areas, implementing a uniform match system for residency, addressing gender disparities, and utilizing dual practice to ensure adequate compensation for neurosurgeons. Furthermore, stakeholders should develop subspecialization programs in areas such as neurovascular, neuro-oncology, pediatric neurosurgery, and minimally invasive neurosurgery to expand service scope. To transform the neurosurgical research landscape, efforts should be made to establish electronic medical databases, foster international collaborations to ensure funding, and make research mandatory for accreditation renewal to ensure continuous academic contribution.
尼日利亚神经外科学领域面临着严峻的挑战,包括神经外科医生与患者比例极低,以及大量医疗专业人员移民到发达国家。高昂的成本、低下的社会经济地位,以及神经外科中心集中在城市中心,这些都阻碍了人们获得医疗服务的机会。服务提供的主要障碍包括人力短缺、紧急护理不足、成像方式有限、手术设备不足以及政治和行政政策不力。神经创伤是神经外科干预的主要原因,但由于获得治疗的时间延迟和指南不足,导致管理不善。神经外科学教育系统受到培训能力有限和缺乏专科化的限制,限制了专科护理的发展。研究成果也很少,这是由于基础设施有限、缺乏数据库、资金不足以及国际合作很少等原因造成的。为了解决这些问题,必须增强成像能力,确保手术设备的可用性,并为不同层次的护理制定有效的任务分担和沟通政策。其他方法包括扩大培训能力,特别是在农村地区,实施住院医师统一匹配系统,解决性别差距问题,并利用双重执业来确保神经外科医生获得足够的补偿。此外,利益相关者应在神经血管、神经肿瘤学、儿科神经外科和微创神经外科等领域制定专科化计划,以扩大服务范围。为了改变神经外科学研究的格局,应努力建立电子医疗数据库,促进国际合作以确保资金,并将研究作为认证更新的强制性要求,以确保持续的学术贡献。
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