Survey of Maxillofacial Surgical Equipment Availability in Government Hospitals in Taraba State

The availability of appropriate surgical instruments and equipment is foundational to safe and effective oral and maxillofacial surgical practice. In Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, resource constraints have led to documented shortages of essential surgical tools in government health facilities. This descriptive survey assesses the availability, functionality, and adequacy of maxillofacial surgical equipment in government hospitals in Taraba State. Nineteen health facilities including one state specialist hospital, three general hospitals, and fifteen primary healthcare centers were visited. A structured facility assessment checklist was used to document the presence of specific equipment categories including extraction forceps, elevators, mouth gags, retractors, suture materials, local anesthetic agents, irrigation sets, and basic bone surgery instruments. Results indicate that primary healthcare centers had critically insufficient oral surgical equipment, with most lacking even basic extraction forceps or local anesthetic supplies. General hospitals fared marginally better, though a significant proportion had non-functional autoclave units, compromising surgical asepsis. The state specialist hospital in Jalingo had the most complete inventory but reported consistent shortages of suture materials and bone plates. The findings highlight systemic procurement and maintenance failures and call for urgent government investment in standardized oral surgical equipment packages distributed across all facility levels in Taraba State. Keywords: surgical equipment, oral surgery, facility assessment, Taraba State, North East Nigeria.