Assessment of Surgical Workforce Capacity at Secondary Hospitals in Plateau State

Access to safe surgical care in Nigeria is severely constrained at the secondary care level by inadequate surgical workforce capacity, poor infrastructure, and limited essential equipment. This study assesses the surgical workforce capacity at secondary-level hospitals in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, using a cross-sectional facility-based survey conducted in 2023. Twelve secondary hospitals were assessed using the WHO SAFE surgical assessment tool, focusing on the availability of trained surgeons, anaesthesiologists, theatre nurses, and essential equipment. Structured key informant interviews were also conducted with hospital administrators and theatre leads. Findings reveal a critical deficit in qualified anaesthesiologists, with nine of 12 hospitals relying entirely on nurse anaesthetists without physician oversight. Trained general surgeons were absent in seven facilities. Functional operating theatres and basic surgical equipment were present in all hospitals, but advanced instruments and blood banking services were unavailable in most. The study recommends targeted surgical workforce scale-up programs, deployment incentives for specialist surgeons to rural Plateau State, and investment in satellite training programs for nurse anaesthetists in North Central Nigeria. Periodic workforce audits are also recommended to guide policy decisions. Keywords: surgical workforce, secondary hospital, Plateau State, anaesthesia, capacity