Table 1 Overview of available equipment, supplies, ancillary departments, inpatient services and outpatient clinics at TASH, 2009
Equipment | |
|---|---|
Available to all ED patients: Defibrillator, monitors, ECG, oxygen cylinders, nasal prongs, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers. Available if purchased by patient: IV cannula, IV solutions (normal saline and ringers lactate), lumbar puncture trays, chest tube trays, gauze, gloves, casting material, medications Not available: Ventilator, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, glucometers, portable oxygen monitors, slit lamp. | |
Ancillary Departments | |
Laboratory services | Available tests: complete blood count, chemistry (Cl and HCO3 not routinely done), INR and PTT, liver enzymes, blood smears for parasitology, urine tests, gram stain and cultures, CSF analysis, sputum cultures and acid fast bacilli. No blood gas analysis capability. Limitations: After hours blood test availability. Long turnaround times (e.g. CBC and chemistry were 6 and 4Â h, respectively). Blood cultures were limited by a shortage of blood culture bottles. |
Blood Bank | Available products: Packed red blood cells and platelets. Occasional fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate. Blood products are screened for VDRL, HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Limitations: chronic shortages |
Radiology services | Available: X-rays, ultrasound. Limitations; Not available after hours, delayed turnaround time for typical x-ray films, inadequate x-rays, no functioning CT in the hospital (available at cost at private centers) |
Inpatient services | |
6 bed medical intensive care unit 6 bed surgical intensive care unit Internal medicine with subspecialties (such as infectious diseases, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, rheumatology etc) Orthopedics General Surgery Urology Neurology (a new fellowship) Neurosurgery (a new specialty) Pediatrics Obstetrics and Gynecology. Cardiology and interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, plastics surgery and dialysis capability were only available at private hospitals at significant expense to the patient | |
Outpatient Clinics | |
Tuberculosis clinic HIV/Infectious disease clinic Internal Medicine clinics (endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, rheumatology) Surgical clinics (urology, thoracic, general surgery, orthopedics fracture clinic) Resident’s follow up clinic – surgical and medical | |